Now and Always The Klaine Story
by gleeeeeful
Summary: Klaine story that begins after S4 E4 (The Break Up) with Kurt and Blaine in a New York park where Kurt leaves crying. Some fluff, lots of Klaine. I believe in happy endings! Rated M for later chapters.
1. Leaving New York

_What happened to Klaine after that scene in the park? Here's my take._

* * *

Blaine looked down at the ticket peeking out of his messenger bag.

_Departing at 6:00PM from Grand Central_

He knew that this ticket not only provided his departure time, but also the time of death for his relationship with Kurt.

As he sat on the couch of The Coffee Bean clutching his coffee cup as if it were his life-blood, he started to tear up. The last thing he wanted to do the night before was break up with Kurt. The hurt that he saw on his beloved's face once he suggested that they go their separate ways broke his heart into a million tiny pieces. Blaine never thought that he would ever be apart from Kurt. Kurt is... well, was his one true love and the person he wanted to spend his life with. But once Blaine saw him in New York, living his dream and seeing the endless possibilities before him in the city where dreams come true, he felt like the best thing for Kurt would be to sever his ties in Lima so he could live proudly and happily in the city he'd grown to love.

Although Blaine loved New York, he was starting to despise the city that took his love away. He would never be able to think of New York in the same way. The Great White Way would seem gray and Central Park would seem less green in the springtime. Everything would remind him of Kurt.

Even drinking his coffee made him think of Kurt; their times at The Lima Bean and how their relationship truly started in the lounge of a coffee shop. As he took a moment to absorb the environment around him, he saw people smiling, hustling in and out of the coffee shop carrying on their lives as if it was just any ordinary day; unaware of the ruin his past 24 hours had been. How could he carry on without Kurt? Would any day be ordinary again?

He sunk and brought his chin to his chest. The pressure of his bowtie pinched at his neck, but it was nothing in comparison to the pain within his heart and soul.

He sighed deeply and in one swoop gathered his coffee, his bag, and his composure and headed toward the door. He gave a slight smile to the barista as he pitched his used cup in the trash. The barista smiled back brightly, but Blaine just couldn't meet her eye without practically breaking into tears.

"Here I go," he said to himself as he gathered his scarf around his neck and pushed the door open with the brisk air lightly patting his face as he left the building. The gust of wind brought in the smells of autumn mixed with the aroma of the city and its hot dog carts. Though people hurried around him and taxis honked while pedestrians yelled, Blaine could only hear the clicks of his shoes as they made contact with the concrete. Content to stare at his shoes the entire time he trekked to Grand Central, he inched his bag up his shoulder and huddled in his scarf, hoping for a few lingering scents of Kurt's cologne.

"Hey! Wait!" said a voice behind him.

Blaine turned around quickly, hoping that it might be Kurt. His heart skipped a beat as he turned his head.

"Dude, you left your cell phone," said one of the baristas from the coffee shop. Blaine smiled meekly and thanked him for bringing it to him. As the barista walked away, Blaine flicked his phone on for just a moment to check the time.

_4:41PM_

The background of his phone was a photo of Kurt in his bed from the summer before his senior year. They had spent that entire day together; met at The Lima Bean for coffee, headed to a yard sale to find bargains and any new records for Kurt's growing collection of what he called "inspiring Motown divas," the afternoon cuddled on the couch watching "Down With Love" for the tenth time that summer, and ending with an evening at Breadstix and a nightcap at Blaine's house. It was one of the happiest days of his life.

As he watched the screen go dim, his slight smile faded and he looked intently at the crosswalk. Each step that he took down 40th Street toward the train station brought a further sense of dread. He remembered how Kurt had promised that he would never say goodbye to him, but Blaine never considered that he'd have to be the one to say goodbye.

As Blaine exited the chilly New York air and took his first steps into the terminal, he didn't even bother to look at the ceiling. The ceiling that Kurt had told him he could always look at and imagine looking at the stars in Lima with Blaine now couldn't even be confronted. He busied himself as he made a beeline for an empty table where he could organize his things before boarding the train.

As he was haphazardly rooting around in his bag for his headphones, he heard a voice behind him.

"I heard that this is the only place where you can see the stars in the city," said the voice. Blaine turned slightly and said, "here and on Broad..." He held his breath.

It was Kurt.


	2. Betting On Trains

_A/N: This chapter title comes from the song "Betting On Trains" by Hem. You should listen to the song, it's truly beautiful._

* * *

Kurt looked composed as always; black jeans, white button up, red scarf casually thrown on his shoulders with a fitted fedora snugly perched on his head with a brooch Blaine had bought him for Christmas last year. But behind Kurt's composed style were his puffy eyes and trembling smile. Clearly they both had been through hell.

Blaine couldn't contain it anymore. He reached out and hugged Kurt so tightly he nearly knocked him over. Once Blaine was back in Kurt's arms, he started sobbing. Kurt replied emphatically, hugging him tighter and tighter as each second passed. Time seemed to stand still and the normally chaotic terminal appeared calm and empty with just the two of them embracing at its center.

"How did you... where... oh, Kurt," Blaine muffled between sobs, nuzzled in Kurt's scarf. "You say that as if you didn't send me your itinerary, Blaine. Besides, I told you once and I'll say it until the day I die - I'm never saying goodbye to you," Kurt said as he pulled away from the hug, grasping Blaine's hand.

Blaine tilted his head to the side and took in the sight of Kurt's face, beaming before him. He had stared into his eyes countless times for what seemed like an eternity, but in this moment Kurt's eyes exuded happiness and pure joy. Blaine realized that saying what he did that night in the park was one of the stupidest things he'd ever done.

Blaine picked a stray speck of dust from Kurt's scarf and pulled him in with a kiss. Gently placing his strong hand behind Kurt's neck while cupping the other side of his face with his palm, Blaine fiercely placed his lips on Kurt and sighed slightly. Every emotion he had felt for Kurt - every moment of longing, every memory, every look - seemed to sprout from his lips at that moment. The kiss that he shared with Kurt, in the middle of Grand Central Station, was the best they had ever experienced. As his lips parted slightly to take Kurt in with each breath, Blaine knew that he wanted this kiss to last forever and that the past few hours would simply be forgotten.

_Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. _

As Blaine slowly pulled away, he grudgingly pulled his phone from his pocket to stop its vibrating. "My phone is such a buzz kill right now," Blaine joked as he silenced the alarm he'd set to make sure he got on the train in time.

Kurt chuckled and latched on to Blaine's hand again. "Look, I know we probably can't forget what happened last night. But Blaine, I can't live without you. Being in this city without you is hard enough; I can't imagine my heart without you for the rest of my life. I will love you every minute of every day. Even if you get all weepy in the middle of a train station." They both laughed. Kurt continued, "Me without you can't happen. I know that this is hard and the distance is harder, but I'm not done with you or with us. And I'll never be. I love you."

Blaine teared up again. "Kurt, I only did what I did because I thought it was best for you! You seemed so happy with Isabelle and I just didn't want to get in the way of your happiness." Kurt smiled at him and pulled him in for another sweet kiss. Kurt whispered, "You are my happiness," as he wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck and nestled sweetly into his shoulders. Blaine responded by hugging him tightly, breathing in Kurt's scent – a mixture of cologne and the slight aroma of hair spray – and wishing he could bottle it up in his mind forever.

He wanted to spend all day with Kurt's arms around him, but he knew his train was leaving soon. "I don't want to leave now, but I have to go back to Lima. I want to stay, but we have to practice for Sectionals tomorrow and I have an English test this week and..." Kurt interrupted, "it's okay. I know you have to go back. But we can chat your whole ride back and we can Skype when you get back to your house. I'd rather spend the night talking to you than listening to Rachel practice yet another song from Fiddler On The Roof for the billionth time."

Kurt gave Blaine a small hug as he back away, but quickly took Blaine's hand into his own, ensuring that in these final moments, they would spend each one touching each other.

Blaine smiled as he looked from their interlocked hands into Kurt's smiling face. "You know I love you, right?"

Kurt took Blaine's face into his free hand. "You better. I love you too, Blaine."

As Kurt pulled Blaine in for one last kiss, his eyes closed and he got butterflies - both from the passion and emotion behind their kiss and the prospect that he and Kurt would spend their every day together; someday.

"Okay Kurt, I better go," Blaine said as he pulled away, still clutching Kurt's hand. "Goodb..." Kurt interjected, "what did I tell you about saying goodbye! I love you. I will talk to you in a minute. I love you, I love you, I love you. Now and always."

Blaine smiled the biggest he had in days. "Now and always."

* * *

_A/N: There's a lot more of the story coming soon, so be sure to follow or favorite!_


	3. Now Departing for Lima, Ohio

_A/N: Thanks for the follows and reviews! Please be sure to keep following - I have many more chapters already written, eager to be published._

* * *

Blaine gingerly let go of Kurt's hand and made his way towards his train. He waited until the last possible minute before he turned away from Kurt. Once Blaine was through the gates, he hurried to his train and quickly stepped into the train and started navigating his way toward the rear; hoping for a seat near the window that he could stare out of.

Blaine found a seat just as the train pulled away from the station and he threw his bag in the seat before removing his scarf and sitting down. He exhaled loudly as he scooted toward the window and plopped into his seat, adjusting his pants slightly to give him a more comfortable ride.

He shuffled his bag into the empty seat next to him to pull out his Kindle and his phone, placing them in his lap. He planned on reading during the train ride to and from New York, but the anticipation of the ride to the city kept him distracted. And during this ride back to Lima, he knew he would only think of the brief moments in the train terminal that he had shared with Kurt.

As he reached into his bag again, fumbling for his headphones, he felt his phone buzz in his lap.

_How amazing was that kiss just then? It makes me want your kisses all over me. Now. Xxxx_

He chuckled slightly as he unlocked his phone. Kurt was clearly trying to get him riled up and doing a splendid job so far. Kurt knew that the train ride was long - about 6 hours - so he had a lot of time where he would have nothing to do. He knew what he **wished** he could do, but unfortunately Kurt wasn't there to help him.

Blaine typed quickly; _I would gladly put my kisses ALL over you. Every day. Remember that time after the musical? Like that, but hotter._

Blaine smirked as he hit send. Whenever they were talking about their intimate moments together, their first time after opening night of West Side Story always was their favorite. Kurt's romantic side took over that night and Blaine was more than happy to appease Kurt in that way. Blaine's mind flickered through the images lingering from that night; Kurt's pale skin against his, familiarizing himself with each crook of Kurt's face and body, lathering him with kisses for hours and finally cuddling together while looking into each other's eyes before giving in to the night's sleep.

_Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz._

He quickly was brought back to reality with the phone buzzing again in his lap. Blaine peered down, eager to read Kurt's response.

_Blaine Anderson! Do you hug your momma with those hands? I know what you're implying. Are you sure you can handle that while you're on the train surrounded by strangers?_

Blaine laughed out loud, and then quickly quieted his laughter into an inaudible chuckle. _I always forget that people probably think I'm crazy when I laugh out loud like that_, he thought to himself.

Instead of texting back a snarky reply, Blaine hurriedly typed in Kurt's number - the only phone number he had memorized other than his home phone number - and hit call.

It only rang once before Kurt picked up on his end. "Well, well, well. Back for more Mr. Anderson?" Kurt taunted as he tried his best Marilyn Monroe voice.

Blaine laughed, slightly quieter this time, remembering his fellow passengers on the train. "Honey, you know with you, I'll always come back for more."

The woman in the row across from him looked up momentarily from her knitting and gave him a small smile. He reciprocated and turned again to look out the window.

"How's the train?" Kurt asked, as Blaine heard him go into a slight jog.

"Kurt, I left like five minutes ago. But I will say, the view isn't nearly as beautiful as looking into your eyes." Blaine smiled and he could practically hear Kurt blush on the other end.

"I really hit the boyfriend jackpot with you, Anderson. Most people may think they have the best boyfriend, but I know that I'm far luckier than anyone ever," Kurt said, slightly short of breath. _He must have reached the top of the stairs. Those walk up apartments are no joke_, Blaine thought to himself as he smiled giddily as he stared out the window.

"Well, you're certainly more than exceptional yourself, Kurt. And you know it."

"What can I say? I'm, what did you call me, perfectly imperfect? Either way, I'll take it," Kurt said as Blaine heard the keys to his apartment jingle as Kurt fumbled with the door. He heard Kurt's footsteps cross the threshold and immediately heard sobs.

"Sorry babe, but I'm going to have to call you back. Rachel is having some sort of crisis," Kurt said, exasperated at the thought of what drama Rachel would slowly unfurl.

"It's okay, I have to go to the restroom anyway. I'll text you my progress. I love you."

"I love you too," Kurt replied. "And try not to think of me while you're in that bathroom. No need for your hands to get frisky without me there."

Blaine blushed. "I'll try not to. Talk to you soon," he said as he clicked the end call button.


	4. Meanwhile, in New York

_A/N: The story will be switching POV throughout, just to keep things interesting._

* * *

Kurt was thankful that Rachel had finally gone to bed. She had been muttering something about Finn and Georgia and Lima for what seemed like days only to finally be coaxed from her misery with Chunky Monkey and "Legally Blonde."

Kurt turned and laid down, gently placing his boots on his couch. He generally liked when Rachel visited, but his studio apartment gave him no reprieve when she spent the night. Kurt was used to having his alone time, or at least time to think, back home. In this city and with high maintenance friends like Rachel, it was exhausting just to live each and every moment without wanting to pass out.

The things that always made his days amazing were his moments where he could connect with Blaine. Whenever he spoke with Blaine, his heart calmed and his head cleared. In a moment where he could feel foggy, Blaine's reasoning, wisdom and sincere love made the mist disappear.

Kurt was about to go down memory lane when he heard his phone ringing from the kitchen.

_I believe in a thing called loooooooooooove, Ooooh oooh ooh!_

Kurt laughed as he ran over to the counter and picked up Blaine's call. When Kurt told Blaine he assigned him The Darkness' "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" as his ringtone, Blaine thought it was an unexpected choice. He assumed that Kurt would have picked a Lady Gaga track or something from an Original Broadway Cast Recording, but Kurt loved the track even more because it was unexpected, just like their budding relationship was when it first started.

"Hey babe, sorry I didn't call you back," Kurt whispered into the phone. "Rachel is, apparently, crashing here so I won't be able to talk for long."

"That's okay. I really wanted to let you know I made it okay and I'm now laid comfortably in my bed, staring at the picture of us from prom last year," Blaine sighed.

Kurt smiled as he envisioned Blaine laying on his bed. He lingered for a moment on what Blaine was wearing when he encountered him at the train station. A blue oxford tucked neatly into deep tan chinos with a slight cuff and his standard cognac wingtips all capped off with a red bow tie. It was the quintessential Blaine; something he always expected, but loved, about him.

"Kurt? Are you there?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry. I was in la-la land. Thinking about you," Kurt sighed into the phone as he walked back toward the couch, eager to relax and put his feet up. "Blaine, I really miss you. I know you just left, but I'm already counting down the days until I can see you again. Next weekend in Lima, right?"

"Yeah, are you sure you can still swing it? I know you're really busy and you have a lot going on, but I …" Blaine carefully said, not trying to seem overly desperate to see his boyfriend.

"Don't be silly. You **are** a priority. I want to see you and spending time back in Lima means that I can have you almost all to myself. Besides, then we can relive our sleepovers from last year, and we know how much we both love those." Kurt smiled and wished that Blaine could see the smirk on his face thinking about their sleepovers and their many nighttime memories together.

Blaine sighed relief. "Okay. I'm so thrilled you're coming out here. Hopefully you bring more activities to do than I did; that ride is so boring without you there with me."

Rachel stirred in Kurt's bed and faced him while slowly pulling herself up. "Kurt? Is that Blaine? Tell him I love him!" Rachel muttered before she collapsed in sobs again on Kurt's duvet cover.

"I better take care of Princess Rachel. She's a hot mess about something I'm still not entirely sure about. Something about Finn, but whenever she tries to go into more detail, she just does that ugly sob. She says hi – not that she'll remember tomorrow. But I'll talk to you soon. And even though your trip here was not entirely pleasant, know that I love you. Now and always."

Blaine whispered, "now and always," just as Kurt hit the end call button.

Kurt held his phone to his chest for a moment and sighed. Last night, he never imagined that he and Blaine would be where they were today. Blaine's words that led to their (brief) break up were kind and loving as always and Kurt knew that the reason Blaine had done what he did was to try and make Kurt happy. Now that he finally had Blaine back where he belonged, he would make sure that every chance he had, he would show Blaine just how much joy he brought to his life.

As he thought of Blaine and the year and a half they had shared as boyfriends, he closed his eyes, thought of Blaine's breathtaking hazel eyes as he quietly drifted off to sleep.


	5. Thankful

Kurt woke up the next morning with the sun blaring in his window. He was starting to regret that east-facing window now more than ever. _God, the sun rises so much earlier here than in Ohio_, he thought to himself as he pulled himself into a seated position from the couch's uncomfortable cushions.

He glanced over at the bed and noticed that Rachel had left. _I'm glad I gave her my spare key_, he thought to himself as he stumbled towards his dresser. Next to his dresser, he peered into his full-length mirror at his reflection. He barely recognized his reflection – he hadn't followed through with his moisturizing and cleansing routine the night before and he felt that it showed this morning.

As he started to collect himself before jumping in the shower, he heard a familiar sound coming from his laptop.

_Riiiiing. Riiiiing. Riiiiing. _

As the Skype logo jumped on his Mac, he wondered who would be calling him so early in the morning. When he saw that it was Rachel, he promptly picked up.

"I'm glad you made it home last night, Rachel. Thanks for locking the door behind you, too. You know those guys from downstairs were eyeing my throw pillows when I first moved in," Kurt said as he brushed his fingers through his hair

"Yeah, sorry that I just left without saying goodbye. I knew you had a rough day yesterday so I didn't want to bother you when I crawled out of there at 2am. That was such a bad idea, Kurt. Now I'm not rested and I have another dance class today, and you know how I've doubted my normally perfect routines due to this dance teacher. I mean, she's right, but…" Rachel was going to keep rambling until Kurt cut her off.

"Rach, you know you're stellar and you're a star. You've been putting a star after your name for years, for Christ sake. But it's okay if you're not perfect all the time. This isn't Lima and you have to work for everything, hon. And one day really isn't going to ruin anything; just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and hold your head high. I've seen you resilient in the face of a lot of crappy things, Ms. Berry. You've got this."

"Thanks Kurt," Rachel said as she twirled her hair nervously. "I better go, my roommate will be back any minute now and I'm trying to avoid her at all costs. Talk soon."

Kurt clicked end call and stared at the frozen image of Rachel that remained on the screen. _She really was a train wreck the first time she and Finn had this weird thing happening. It won't be any better this time_, he thought as he headed toward the shower again.

As he was taking a shower, he was introspective rather than belting out his normal show tunes, much to the chagrin of his next-door neighbor who was the definition of a Crazy Cat Lady. He thought about how lucky he was that he wasn't Rachel in this instance. Sure, this time yesterday, Kurt thought that he and Blaine were through. Thankfully, due to a beautiful romantic gesture a la Kurt, the pieces had been placed back together ever so carefully through their love for each other.

He knew that these little stumbles were normal for relationships, but he was thankful that he and Blaine seemed to pull it together for the long haul.

He lingered for a few moments thinking of when he first met Blaine in the halls of Dalton Academy. If Present Kurt told Past Kurt that he would be in a relationship with Blaine for nearly two years, Past Kurt would have laughed. It's funny how a year – or two - changes things.

As Kurt emerged from the shower, he heard his phone make the familiar tone indicating that he had received an email. It was 6:30am in New York, which meant in Paris it was nearly lunchtime and Isabelle had been awake for two hours at least. He tossed his phone aside for a moment to concentrate on dressing himself with the many layers on his delicate frame before gracing the city of New York with yet another fashion-forward frock from Kurt Hummel.

With one last check in the mirror, and an approving wink, he walked toward the door with his keys, sunglasses and his phone. And just like he did every morning, he made sure to kiss the photo of Blaine he hung by the door on his way out.

"I love you Blaine," he said as he looked at the photo for a second or two longer than usual. "Now and always."


	6. Back to You

_A/N: This chapter title comes from the song "Back To You" by John Mayer. A personal favorite._

* * *

_The Next Friday Night..._

It was 7:30pm and Kurt was still sitting at his desk, staring at his inbox.

"Don't leave until you receive that file from LA, Kurt. I have to leave now for Barcelona, so I won't have email and Paris is expecting those images for Monday's launch," Isabelle barked at him as she was packing her Louis Vuitton duffel with a few essentials from her desk.

"I'm counting on you," she yelled back as she swiftly closed the door.

That was nearly two hours ago and he was still waiting. Kurt tapped his shoes impatiently as he glanced at his watch again. It was Friday night and he was supposed to be on the 9:00 train to Lima. At this rate, he'd never make it in time.

_Ding, ding, ding._

Kurt's phone pinged as a text message came through. It was from Blaine.

_Can't wait to see you tonight. Are you sure you haven't mastered the powers of teleportation yet?_

Kurt grinned. Blaine was such a dork sometimes. Sometimes Blaine would try to mention super heroes or comics to him, but it was in one ear and out the other.

_I'm still at the office but hope to make the 9:00 train. Are you still going to pick me up?_

As Kurt hit send, his office phone rang.

" . This is Kurt Hummel speaking."

"Hey Kurt, it's Phil in LA. Look, the images are coming through soon but they're really big files. We're going to put them on an FTP so it won't clog your inbox. If I email you the login information, will that work for the folks in Barcelona?"

Kurt practically jumped for joy. Sending things on an FTP meant that it was an easy thing that could be emailed from his phone rather than waiting in the office. "Uh, yeah Phil, I think that will be fine. Just be sure to note the file path for the Barcelona people," Kurt spoke quickly as he began to gather his belongings from his desk, itching to rush out the door to the train as soon as their call was completed.

"No prob, Bob," Phil said. Kurt hated when he said that, but Phil made his night so he didn't try to argue with him about this annoying colloquialism. "Hey, have a great weekend Kurt. Talk to you Monday."

"Yes. Monday. Have a great night," Kurt said absent mindedly as he hung up the phone. During his brief call with Phil, Blaine had texted him back.

_Yes, I will be there. I'm the best welcoming party in Lima and you deserve the best. _

Kurt rolled his eyes lovingly and finished packing his bag. Thankfully, he had the foresight to bring his weekender bag with him to the office rather than trekking back to his apartment then to the train station. _I hope that the trains are running on time_, Kurt thought as he hustled out the door.

He made it to the train with plenty of time to stock up on magazines and an apple from the newsstand. He clutched his glossies with the apple in his mouth and balanced his bag on his shoulder. He had enough time to grab a seat at the front of the train, knowing that Blaine always waited for him at the front of the platform in Lima.

As he sat in the window seat, dropping his bag and his magazines haphazardly into the seat next to him, he pulled his phone from his pocket and took a photo of himself. Kurt attached the photo into a text message to Blaine.

_See this face? It's about ready to come in very close contact with yours really soon! Xoxo_

He got up to place his bag in the overhead compartment. While he was maneuvering his bag into place, he heard his phone.

_I believe in a thing called loooooooooooove, Ooooh oooh ooh!_

Kurt smiled meekly as he grabbed for his phone; hoping to pick it up before it became too disturbing to the few people around him.

"Blaine! I just texted you! Is everything okay? I thought you'd be taking a nap before you had to come and pick me up," Kurt whispered into the receiver.

"I know. Everything's fine. I just wanted to hear your voice before I took my nap. I've been thinking about you all day. How was your day?" Blaine asked eagerly.

"It was fine. It was a mad rush at the end, but our guy in LA saved the day. I'm just glad to be on this train and I'll be even more glad to see your smiling face in a few hours," Kurt said as he smiled at an elderly lady boarding the train.

"I wish the train didn't take so long. Why does it have to take six hours? That's too many hours. And I hate seeing you in the middle of the night when we're both too exhausted to.. you know," Blaine purred as Kurt took a bite of his apple.

"I know. If only we had the money or frequent flier miles to travel by plane. But that's a pipedream until I start making more money at Vogue or you sign a fancy recording contract." Kurt laughed, though he truly believed that Blaine could sign a record deal with that amazing voice and gorgeous face that would make him an incredible hit.

Blaine laughed, "Soon, babe. Soon. Alright, just call me before you pull into the station so I can be alert and ready upon your arrival. I love you."

"I love you too, Blaine. See you soon."

Kurt grinned and set his alarm for five hours from now. He knew he'd probably only get through one magazine before giving in to the Sandman, but he wanted to be sure he had enough time to primp before he got to see his gorgeous boyfriend again.


	7. The Call

Blaine heard his phone ring loudly. He placed it right next to his head to make sure he heard it when Kurt called saying he was almost in Lima. He took a moment to look past the buzzing phone to look at the window. He tilted his head to the side, puzzled.

_It's almost light out_, Blaine thought. _Oh no, did I not hear my phone? Has Kurt been sitting at the train station this whole time? God, I'm the worst boyfriend!_

Blaine practically yelled into the phone, "KURT! Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I didn't hear my phone, I don't know what happened. Where are you? Can I come…"

Kurt was equally frantic on his end. "No, you didn't miss my call or anything like that. I slept through Ohio, Blaine. I can't believe it! I set an alarm and everything and you know how I hate to be late. And now this makes two nights in two weeks of my hair looking disastrous due to sleeping sitting up."

Blaine scrunched his eyebrows as he tried to make sense of what Kurt said. "So, where exactly are you?"

Kurt sighed, exasperated. "Chicago. I can't believe I ruined my first night back in Lima after our previous weekend together. Blaine, I'm so sorry! I'm at the ticket booth now waiting for it to open at 7:00 and I'll be on the next train back. I'll probably only have to wait another hour or so and the next train is at 8:15, so I should be there by around noon."

Blaine glanced at his bedside table at his alarm clock.

_6:29AM_

Blaine rolled over onto his back and moaned slightly as he got into a more comfortable position. He held the phone to his ear as he scratched his head with his eyes closed, not wanting to encounter this day that was already really stressful. Blaine sleepily sat up, pulling his tank top over his head. As he pitched his top in the hamper, he laid back on his bed, eager to find a cool spot, when suddenly he had an idea.

"Why don't you take the train from Chicago to Fort Wayne and I'll pick you up there. It's only an hour drive and that way you won't have to spend as much time on the train and we can have a mini road trip back home."

"That's genius. I knew there was a reason I was dating you," Kurt said, relieved.

"And here I thought it was my impeccable manners and dreamy eyes," Blaine said jokingly.

"Those are just the add-ons to the package. Too bad it's not lunchtime here, I could have grabbed us a deep dish pizza for me to bring back," Kurt suggested, knowing how much Blaine loved pizza.

"That's okay. You're the best thing that could come off the train, so just get your ass here. In the meantime, I'm going to take a nap. Call me when you're close. And don't miss the stop this time, okay?" Blaine chided lightly.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I love you. Sleep well. Call you later."

"Love you," Blaine said as he tossed the phone aside and inched his way toward his pillows. He was rather impressed at his ability to think on his feet at such an early hour. He would do anything to spend more time with Kurt and a road trip with him was always fun, so it only seemed like a natural solution. They would sing in the car together, take funny photos, and stop at any weird things they happened to see along the way.

As Blaine rested his hand on his heart and laughed, imagining frantic Kurt realizing that he was in Chicago with his scarves, lace up boots, and "don't mess with me" attitude, he smiled and swiftly fell asleep.

* * *

_A/N: I have some really fun things in store for Kurt and Blaine, but let me know if you have any suggestions. I'm open to feedback!_


	8. With a Little Help from My Friends

_A/N: A special guest in today's chapter!_

* * *

Kurt diligently stayed awake this time, making sure not to miss his stop. He was so embarrassed that he missed it the first time he couldn't let it happen again, especially if Blaine was coming to meet him in Fort Wayne.

He quietly thumbed through his issue of W magazine before he became bored reading through the numerous ads hocking women's bags and horrible beauty products that should not have seen the light of day, much less be published in a fashion magazine.

He examined his phone, quickly checking it for the time.

_8:47AM_

_Only another hour or two_, he thought to himself. It felt like he spent too much time on the train these days. Not that he wasn't thrilled with the outcome and the look on his lover's face when they met in Lima or in New York, but he had come to dread these long train rides to see Blaine.

_Long distance relationships are so hard_, Kurt thought. Mr. Shue said that they'd be hard and almost every couple that was together at the end of the school year knew that these long distance relationships were an inevitability, but in this time where he didn't have enough sleep and was looking outside at the boring landscape of Indiana, he wanted to hit himself over the head for selling short what Mr. Shue had said.

He pulled out his phone, eager for an ear to listen in on his dilemma. He weighed his options carefully. Rachel wouldn't be helpful, Tina couldn't understand his side of the story, Mercedes would still be asleep, Puck would be, well, Puck, and he didn't want to talk to Finn since their last meeting in New York made him think too much about that painful night with Blaine.

He scrolled through his contacts and landed on the one he was looking for.

Santana Lopez.

Kurt hit the call button, hoping that she'd be awake.

_Ring, ring, ring. _

"Well, if it isn't one of my fellow gays," Santana said snarkily into the phone as she laughed. "What can I do for you this early in the morning? I hope it isn't a booty call. You and I both know there are all kinds of barking up the wrong trees going on here."

Kurt squirmed. He liked Santana, but she was a force that he never could feel fully comfortable around. "Uh, no. I know we talked a few weeks ago, but I wanted to see how you were doing and also get your advice on something," he said sheepishly into the phone, praying that she'd be understanding.

"Things are fine with me. Kentucky is the worst, but I'm cheering and going to class for free, so that's great. But what do you need, Pasty Prince."

Kurt was slightly taken aback, but he'd come to understand that being friends with Santana required a certain level of thick skin for all of her nicknames. "You and Brittany have been in a relationship for longer than Blaine and I. How do you manage? We're really struggling but I feel like you'd give me the most realistic advice out of everyone from New Directions."

Santana sighed. "Yes, I know. Rachel is a mess, as always, and Tina and Mike broke up earlier this school year. Obviously, I'm your only hope."

"Obviously," Kurt said cautiously.

"I'm not going to lie. Things aren't always kittens and rainbows with Britt and I. We had a fight last week that really tested us. I won't go into detail primarily because Brittany somehow thinks Lord Tubbington was conspiring against her and I don't even want to think about that reality, but in the end we love each other. I know she's perfect for me; she always has been and always will be. I want to marry her, have babies with her, and hell, have the Lesbian-American dream with that crazy woman. Also, we have lots of ladylove time, whether in person or on the Internet. That never hurts."

Kurt paused thoughtfully. He and Blaine tried to keep their intimacy levels up despite the distance, but he figured it couldn't hurt to do more of that. He certainly wouldn't complain. But he was touched at Santana's out-of-character, candid discussion about her relationship with Brittany. Not long ago, they were "secret girlfriends" who hadn't come out yet until Finn ruined that one for her. He loved Finn as his brother, but that was a moment that he thought Finn acted like a complete idiot. After a moment, he continued quizzing Santana.

"How often do you see Brittany, Santana? Louisville is close, right?"

"It's about 4 hours, 3 if I'm driving. But we see each other at least every other weekend. It's not easy and it's not cheap, but it's worth it." Santana paused. "Look, I know how much you love Blaine," she said frankly. "You need to take every chance you get to show him how much you care because I know he'll do the same for you. In terms of this relationship, this rough time will pass like the blink of an eye. If you guys are planning on being together forever, which I'm guessing you are since Brittany thinks you'll somehow have unicorn babies together, this short time of struggle will seem like nothing in the future and in the grand scheme of life. Plus it'll make your relationship stronger in the end."

Kurt was amazed. Santana normally was stand-offish, but her advice really struck a chord. "Wow. I mean, thanks Santana. I wasn't expecting you to be so, uh, nurturing."

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it, Hummel. I'm not a pansy but I let my lady know what's up when it matters," she said, quickly reverting to the Santana Kurt was used to.

"Well, thanks Santana. Truly. I appreciate it," Kurt said.

"It's nothing. As the only members of the Gay Squad, we gotta look out for each other. Don't be a stranger," she said as Kurt heard the phone line go dead.

As he watched yet another farm pass through his line of sight, he let Santana's advice marinate as he pressed his forehead against the cool window. He knew what he told Blaine, about everything being okay, was going to be true. They really would be okay.

_I'm getting closer_, he texted Blaine. _You should leave soon. I love you. And appreciate you. Now and always._

Kurt set his phone aside and picked his magazine back up, waiting for the minutes to pass until he could see Blaine again.


	9. Mixtape

_A/N: Today's chapter is really short, but I promise to make up for it soon. And this chapter title comes from the Jamie Cullum song, "Mixtape."  
_

* * *

Blaine heard Kurt's message come through while he was in the shower. He placed his phone on the sink in case Kurt called again, but he knew that the text meant that Kurt was fast approaching on his destination.

As Blaine massaged his scalp, removing any remnants of gel that might have lingered from the night before, he made a checklist of things he needed to remember for their road trip.

_Mix CDs, snacks, camera, blank paper for doodling or notes they would write to each other while the other was focused on driving. _

Blaine made Kurt mix CDs earlier that week with the intention of giving one to him and explaining how every song reminded him of Kurt. Once he started compiling the CD, it quickly turned into four because so many songs reminded him of Kurt and how much he loved him.

He rinsed out the conditioner and turned the shower off. After drying off, Blaine dressed in Kurt's favorite outfit – a short sleeved red v-neck sweater with fitted dark washed jeans and his black oxfords. Kurt said it showed off his "biceps and other man bits very sexily," so who was he to argue. Once he had intricately placed gel in his hair, he took one look in the mirror, did a quick spin and as he grabbed his keys from his dresser.

After bumbling about the house and yelling goodbye to his parents, he scooted into his car and put his carefully-crafted mix CDs on the seat, the snacks in the backseat, and the paper tucked into the glove compartment along with Crayola markers since Kurt loved feeling like a child sometimes.

Blaine grabbed a CD and stuck it in the player. One had show tunes, one had Motown divas (Kurt's favorites), one had top 40 tracks, and the last had a collection of sappy love songs that he and Kurt loved to sing together. Blaine was so glad he found a guy who loved performing and singing as much as he did. Though there was a short time during their Warbler days when Kurt was a little jealous of Blaine, that had all faded once they acknowledged that they were never in competition with each other, but were there to support each other.

Blaine was thankful that he absent-mindedly started belting out Katy Perry's "Firework" as it pumped through his speakers. As he turned right and exited town, the sign on the side of the road read, _FORT WAYNE – 60 MILES_.

"Less than an hour until I see Kurt!" he sang in time with Katy Perry's lyrics.


	10. Oh! Darling

Blaine's stomach twittered nervously as if he was meeting Kurt for their first date. He made sure to stop at a florist on his way toward the station to pick up flowers for his boyfriend. Kurt was a sucker for romance and what was more romantic than a bouquet of flowers and your boyfriend waiting for you at the train station?

"Are these for a special someone?" said the elderly gentleman behind the counter at the florist, causing Blaine to snap out of his trance. "This is a beautiful arrangement, so I hope whoever you're giving these to really appreciates them and the gesture that these flowers provide!"

"Oh, I'm sure he'll appreciate them. Thanks!" Blaine remarked as he turned around, leaving the florist slightly confused. _I forget that people aren't used to seeing out, gay high schoolers in this part of the world,_ he thought to himself and he clicked the unlock button on his keys. He delicately placed the arrangement – peonies and hydrangeas, the perfect level of drama for Kurt – on the front seat as he buckled his seat belt and pulled out of the parking lot.

Upon arriving at the train station, he pulled into a spot near the entrance as he heard a train whistle inside. He quickly grabbed the flowers, gave a quick check to his hair, and jumped out of the car barely remembering to lock the doors as he hurried toward the terminal.

_Click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click. _

His shoes clicked on the polished tile floor as he ran to the arrivals terminal of the train station. He looked quickly at the arrivals board and sure enough, Kurt's train had arrived. Blaine peered at his watch to see how long it had been since his train had pulled into the station when Blaine forcefully collided with someone.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," Blaine said, practically out of breath from his jog, only to be encountered with Kurt's arms reaching out for him, pulling him in for a tight hug.

"Here I thought you were going to run dramatically into my arms, but I wasn't expecting to literally run into you," Kurt said with a smile as he wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck. Blaine heard the crinkle of the floral paper as he tightly squeezed Kurt's chest, taking in his scent, his voice, and his warmth all at once.

Kurt peeled away slightly, keeping his arms around Blaine's neck, as he took a moment to stare into Blaine's eyes. As Kurt pushed his face closer, he rested his forehead on Blaine's and just looked into his eyes as Blaine soon lost himself in Kurt's ocean-blue eyes with slight specks of gold peeking back at him.

"If it wasn't for all of these people right now, it'd be so on," Kurt whispered as chills ran up Blaine's spine. Blaine wasn't used to Kurt being so forward, but he wasn't complaining.

Blaine used his hands around Kurt's waist to pull them closer, forcing their lips to touch. Blaine felt butterflies, fireworks, chills, and overwhelming arousal at yet another emotional kiss in the middle of a train station. As Blaine's eyes were closed tightly, hoping to savor each sound, smell, touch that Kurt was sharing with him right now. He felt Kurt's hands move; one to the side of his face where he gently touched his cheek, ear, and his hairline, and the other behind Blaine's back, pulling them even closer at the waist. Blaine moaned slightly as his mouth opened to get a taste of Kurt, Kurt's tongue lightly licking the entrance of Blaine's quivering lips.

Kurt replied with an equally chilling moan as he slightly opened his mouth only to press his lips together quickly, obviously trying to restrain himself from losing control in the middle of the train station.

"Let's save something for when we get back your place," Kurt whispered, still unable to open his eyes after that lingering kiss.

Blaine laughed, his eyes finally forcing themselves open in order to encounter the look on his love's face. "I think we should have all of our kisses at train stations. They always leave me wanting more," Blaine said as he coyly pulled Kurt's hips closer to his.

Kurt pulled away and slapped Blaine's arm as he feigned shock at Blaine's implications. "Blaine Anderson! Who knew that my shy boyfriend has such a bottle rocket hidden in there!" he exclaimed.

Blaine smiled and held out the flowers for Kurt. "These are for you. They may not be your favorites, but they smell lovely and have just the right amount of drama and flair, just like you," Blaine said sweetly.

Kurt smiled broadly and reached out for the flowers, taking a moment to breathe in their sweet aroma. Blaine didn't often get Kurt flowers, especially not ones this beautiful, but this was just the romance they needed to get their relationship back in a fantastic place after their previous weekend together in New York. "They're beautiful, Blaine. Thank you," Kurt said sincerely as he locked eyes with his boyfriend and reached out to grab his hand. "Shall we leave?" he said, reaching down to pick up his bag.

"Of course. Please Kurt, let me get your bag," Blaine said.

Kurt sighed. "My knight in shining armor. Chivalry is so not dead."

Blaine chuckled as he placed Kurt's bag on his shoulder while still holding Kurt's hand. Kurt took one last whiff of the flowers as they moved toward the exit.

"So, what do you have planned for our drive?" Kurt asked as they encountered the midday sun waiting for them in the parking lot.

"Nothing super unusual, it's not a long drive. But I did bring some of your favorite things to ensure that our ride is endlessly entertaining," Blaine said as he unlocked his car and headed toward the trunk to stow Kurt's bag.

"Ooh, new mix CDs! You clearly know how to make this boy happy," Kurt squealed as he buckled into Blaine's car.

Blaine slid into the driver's seat and put the keys in the ignition. He adjusted the mirror and reached out again for Kurt's hand. He looked at him for a moment and said, "I would do anything to make you happy, Kurt," as he quickly squeezed.

Blaine smiled for a moment, then took his hand from Kurt's and placed it behind the passenger seat as he prepared to back out of the parking space.

"Are you ready for an adventure?" he said as the car was aligned toward the exit.

"With you, everything is an adventure," Kurt said, smiling.


	11. Field of Dreams

It was a few songs into his mix CD when Blaine looked over and noticed Kurt had fallen asleep.

_He's so dreamy when he's sleeping. He looks like an angel_, he thought as he took a moment to savor the look on his boyfriend's sleeping face.

Blaine quieted the radio and contented himself to tap along on the steering wheel with the top 40 songs he was listening to. As he continued to drive, Blaine noticed a patch of bright purple in the middle of a field along the side of the road. Curious, Blaine carefully made a right-hand turn onto a dirt road to investigate. He quietly lowered his window and inspected the path ahead of him.

It was field full of breathtaking purple wildflowers, with a wall of lilac bushes, hidden behind a line of beautiful trees – making the field's contents barely visible to the road beside it.

Blaine smiled goofily as he inched his car to a stop on the dirt rode and turned the car off. He gingerly lowered the window on Kurt's side of the car, hoping the aroma would wake him. Kurt barely stirred, so Blaine slowly abandoned the driver's seat and made a beeline for the trunk; hoping that his blanket would still be there from a late night lacrosse game he went to the week before.

Sure enough, it was rolled up in the back and Blaine grabbed it – goofy smile still in tact – as he cautiously closed the trunk and crept past Kurt's open window into the field.

With each step, Blaine's shoes made a slight crunch under the gravel until his soles encountered the soft grass and the purple haze of flowers. _I see why Kurt would find this so romantic_, Blaine thought as he spread out the blanket, trying not to crush too many of the flowers. He was lucky the flowers will still blooming with the chill of autumn on the horizon, but Blaine took this as a sign that wonderful things were to come for he and Kurt.

As Blaine turned back toward the car, he smiled when he noticed that Kurt still hadn't budged. Kurt's head was slumped slightly over his left shoulder with his knees delicately gathered and tilted toward the center of the car. Blaine soaked in the vision of his lover in his sleepy state as he opened the door, unbuckled Kurt's seatbelt and gently sat next to him on the space that the seat allotted.

Scooting in closer, Blaine used his hand to bring Kurt's face upright and pulled his face towards his own for a tender kiss. With this closeness, Kurt quickly awoke; slightly confused, but easing quickly once he tasted his boyfriend on his lips.

"What's going on? Why are we stopped?" Kurt asked between soft kisses.

"I found something I think you'll love," Blaine exhaled as he went in for a lingering kiss, his lips moist with Kurt's taste on his mouth.

Blaine pulled away and Kurt slowly inspected his surroundings while he lightly sniffed the air. Then, he glanced outside the window, clearly emotional at the sight of the nearby field. "Blaine… how did you…?" he asked as Blaine intertwined his fingers with Kurt's and pulled them both from the car.

"It was pure luck, but there was something that I wanted to check off your bucket list," he said with a coy smile, edging him toward the blanket he had laid out. "I realize I may not be Taylor Lautner, but I hope you won't mind this substitution," Blaine said as he sat down on the blanket.

Kurt's gaping mouth held a smile as he eased onto the blanket and looked around him at all of the purple flowers. "I feel like I'm in the middle of an Estee Lauder commercial," Kurt said.

Blaine laughed, "You'd certainly feel right at home if it was."

When Kurt had sufficiently taken in his surroundings, he looked lovingly at Blaine; their fingers still intertwined. "I… just…" he said, obviously fighting back tears. "Our last time together was such a wreck," Kurt sniffled. "I know we both want this to last forever and it's moments like this that tell me it really will."

Blaine smiled back, "I've never been more in love with you than I am right now."

Blaine began to lie down on his side, always ensuring that he could see Kurt and keeping their fingers locked as tightly as Fort Knox. Once he lay down while using his arm to support the weight of his neck and kicked off his shoes, he nodded at Kurt; suggesting that he join him. Kurt obliged as he removed his boots, gazing into Blaine's eyes as he inched closer to the ground on the softness of the blanket.

Kurt pulled Blaine's hand to his heart. As Blaine felt the warmness of his chest, he could also feel the palpitations of Kurt's heart – beating quickly. "Can you feel that?" Kurt asked, his eyes tracing every curve of Blaine's face as he smiled at him. "My heart does this every time I see you, think about you, and talk to you. And especially when… well, you know."


	12. The Right Place

With Blaine's hand on his heart, Kurt knew that this was possibly one of the most romantic moments of his life. He felt drunk off their love. Between the sweet aroma of the flowers and Blaine's familiar scent, Kurt was in a haze.

Sitting himself up, Kurt reached out to grab Blaine's face, eager for their lips to sting once again. The moment their lips touched was electrifying. Kurt's heart beat even faster and their gingerly, soft kisses from moments before soon turned into deep, forceful, passionate kisses. The pressure of his lips on Blaine's pushed Kurt on top of his boyfriend as Blaine's hands lightly tugged at his hair.

Kurt pushed his tongue past Blaine's pillowy lips and massaged their tongues against each other. Kurt savored Blaine's taste as his hands moved from Blaine's face to the hem of his shirt, eager to feel the muscles that rippled beneath his sweater. Kurt reached up, grasping at the warmth from his chest and Blaine jumped slightly, reacting positively to Kurt's touch as he slipped a hand into his back pocket and grabbed his ass vehemently.

Blaine's hands in Kurt's pockets forced their hips even closer together, each feeling the others excitement pushing tighter against their pants. Unwilling to simply feel his way around, he quickly yanked Blaine's sweater over his chest while rolling Blaine on top, signaling that the shirt needed to be off immediately. Blaine complied, removing his hands from Kurt's ass, out the armholes of the sweater and immediately back on Kurt, not wanting to miss a single moment of contact.

"Hmmmm, Blaine. You are so…" Kurt breathed before attacking Blaine's face again with his kisses.

"Don't think that you're getting off so easy," Blaine said as he reached his perfectly formed arms toward Kurt's shirt buttons. As he tugged from button to button, Blaine kissed Kurt from his ear, past his neck, to his clavicle and sucked lightly. Kurt moaned; feeling the heat of Blaine's breath on his neck while feeling him tug anxiously at his shirt only made his erection harder.

When Blaine reached the last button, he pulled the shirt from Kurt's pants and placed his hands on Kurt's shoulders, inching his shirt from his porcelain frame until it hit the ground. Kurt watched Blaine pull away in order to look at Kurt's exposed chest. Kurt smiled shyly and hunched his shoulders together, oddly uncomfortable in his own skin and its current exposure.

Blaine placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder and eased it upright. "Don't hide your beauty, Kurt. I just want to look and touch every inch of you because you are the most beautiful thing I'll ever see."

Kurt smiled and forcefully pulled Blaine on top of him - Kurt's lips quickly moving from his lips, to his chin, to his Adam's apple, to the side of his neck where he nibbled and licked Blaine's flesh. Each moan from Blaine's lips made Kurt press his tongue down harder and clasped his fingers onto Blaine's back, tugging at his skin while hearing Blaine's enjoyment resonate in his hushed groans.

In the middle of the field, during this perfectly romantic moment, Kurt could hear cars passing. After a moment, he could hear animals from the farm across the row mooing and clomping in the field. Gnats buzzed by and lightly tickled his ear, and not in the same pleasant way that Blaine's breath felt on his earlobes. The ground was uncomfortable and hard. Kurt stopped for a minute, pulling his lips from Blaine's neck. He knew that in this moment, this was not as romantic as he thought it'd be.

"This doesn't feel right," Kurt said as Blaine looked at him, shocked.

"B-but, I don't understand… I tried…" Blaine replied, obviously frustrated at their sudden halt in what was looking to be a very fulfilling encounter.

"No, it's not that. You're, obviously, turning me on right now," Kurt said, gesturing toward his hardness. "I made that list when I didn't know you, when I didn't realize what perfection it would be just to call you mine," he smiled as he reached towards Blaine's cheek. "Plus I think I'm being stabbed in the back by a flower who's mad that we flattened his buddies."

Blaine met his hand at his cheek. Kurt could tell that he was disappointed.

"I want to make a new bucket list of all of the things I want to do with you. Things like adopt a cat, spend our first Christmas together, sing back-up for Lady Gaga together." Blaine laughed. Kurt continued, "Not that this wouldn't be amazing on so many levels; I don't want to think about what my life was like before you and the things I thought I wanted. You are all I want, Blaine, and I want to make a list together of the things we want to do together."

Kurt watched Blaine relax, still a little frustrated but obviously happy at the prospect of making this list together. "I love you Kurt," Blaine said. "Can we just lay here together for awhile?"

Kurt nodded as Blaine laid down and gestured for Kurt to place his head on his chest. As Kurt rested his head on his chest, he watched his chest rise and fall. He wrapped his bare chest against Blaine's, wrapping an arm around him and holding him tight.

Kurt smiled. Things couldn't be more perfect, he thought. He turned his head to face his boyfriend's slightly tousled curls that had sprung free during their moments of passion.

"Don't worry, I fully intend on adding some very sexy things to that list. Starting with something we're going to do the minute we get to your place," Kurt said maliciously.


	13. A New List

After five minutes of cuddling and a sweet kiss in the middle of their field, they packed up their blanket and headed back on the road. After a few minutes of Gotye blaring on the stereo, Kurt looked over at Blaine who was still obviously frustrated. He grabbed Blaine's hand from the gearshift, clutching it tightly as he knit their fingers together.

"I'm sorry that I got you all worked up and pulled the plug," he said, making eye contact with the side of Blaine's face as he focused on the road.

Blaine sighed. "I mean - I want to say that it's okay, but I don't get it. The only thing you've ever wanted is more romance and spontaneity in our relationship. When I do something truly out there and, well, perfect for your level of romance, you shut me down. How is that supposed to make me feel?"

Kurt still looked at Blaine's silhouette, noting the way his eyebrow scrunched as he spoke his last few words; confusion, anger, and disappointment radiating from the brows as if they carried all of his emotions in one moment.

Blaine turned to Kurt, his eyes showing the hurt his eyebrows had just conveyed. "I-I just want you. I try to show you that I really want to make this work for the long haul and… it's just confusing," he said as he turned back to the road.

Kurt kept looking at Blaine. "The fact that I pushed pause on the lovin' has nothing to do with your actions or your sweetness. Let me make that perfectly clear. I realize the timing was in poor taste given that you kind of laid it all out on the line back there, but did you really want to have sex in the middle of a field with bugs? No thank you!"

Blaine smiled slightly. "Okay. I just don't want to mess things up again, Kurt. Saying what I said to you in that park will always live in my memory as the stupidest thing I've ever done. I'm trying to make it up to you as best as I can. I-I…" he choked as tears started to form in the corners of his eyes.

Kurt reached behind Blaine's back and rubbed it gently. Blaine kept focused on the road, but Kurt could see that he was looking at him with his peripheral vision. "You have done everything right, Blaine. And know that I appreciate what you're trying to do, though you really don't need to. I love you and what happened in the park that night is gone and forgotten now," Kurt said sweetly.

Blaine turned, giving Kurt a look at the joy in his eyes. "I can't tell you how much that means to me. I don't want to feel guilty in our relationship." He continued, "God, you're so perfect. What did I ever do to deserve a man so wonderful?"

Kurt blushed. He never got used to Blaine's constant compliments, it made him all warm and fuzzy inside. "You're pretty wonderful yourself. Don't sell yourself short, Blaine. I love you."

"I love you too," he said, finally turning back to the road.

"Let's go ahead and make a new bucket list. I'll write it down and you just focus on the road. Sound like a plan?"

Blaine nodded as he signaled into the left lane.

"Live in New York," Kurt said as he scribbled the words onto the paper Blaine had provided. "Adopt a cat, perform a Patti LuPone song together – of course."

"Of course," Blaine said smiling.

"What else?"

"Go to my senior prom together, attend a cooking class," Blaine added.

"Ooh, I love it!" Kurt squealed as the words hit the paper. Silence filled the car as both men were thinking about what else to add to the list.

"Ask Burt for your hand in marriage," Blaine said, matter-of-factly.

Kurt gasped slightly. He knew that Blaine loved him, but saying it aloud and hearing the words hit him in a way he never thought.

_He really, truly wants to marry __**me**__?_ Kurt thought.

"And before you start over thinking, yes. I mean it." Kurt looked over and noticed Blaine was looking into his eyes as he made that statement. "I'm going to ask you to marry me someday." Blaine noticed Kurt's silence and stammered, "I mean, if that's okay with you."

Kurt smiled wider and brighter than he ever had before. "I-I, uh. I'm so blown away by you, Blaine. The thought of us at the altar together, saying all the things we feel for each other in front of our worlds… it makes me so happy you have no idea," he said, still peering into Blaine's hazel eyes.

Blaine smiled and turned again to the road. "I'm glad."

"I love you."

"I love you more."

Kurt let out a breath, as he still felt overwhelmingly happy, peaceful and excited all at once. He let the moment sink in before bringing his attention back to their list.

"So, can we also add 'have the best wedding ever' to the list?" Kurt asked.

Blaine laughed hard. "With you as one of the grooms, it's to be expected."


	14. You're Making Me High

_A/N: **It's rated M primarily for this chapter**_

* * *

After another thirty minutes in the car singing Lady Gaga and Katy Perry and a quick Starbucks stop, Kurt and Blaine pulled up at Blaine's house.

Kurt was always amazed at Blaine's exquisite home. They lived in a gated community with streets full of pristine-looking homes and perfectly manicured lawns. He wasn't really surprised – Blaine had attended Dalton without a scholarship – but you'd never suspect that Blaine's family was wealthy until you pulled up to their neighborhood; they were some of the sweetest people you'd ever meet.

Blaine's dad was a well-respected sportscaster for a news station in Columbus and his mom was a music professor at the university. Blaine was the perfect mix of his parent's personalities - outgoing, athletic, and easy-going like his dad; musically gifted, intelligent, and a slight perfectionist like his mom.

Blaine pulled in the driveway and Kurt was relieved to discover that his parents weren't home. As soon as Blaine put the car in park, the sky opened up and water came pouring down.

"At least it started raining when we pulled in the driveway," Kurt stated.

"It would have been slightly more convenient if we had been inside already," Blaine chuckled. "It's not exactly a quick dash from here to the door since we can't cut through my mom's flower garden. She'd kill me if we ruined her prize flowers."

"We'll have to do our best," Kurt said. "Pop the trunk and we'll make a run for it."

Blaine clicked the button, hearing the trunk open. "Ready? One, two, three… RUN!"

Kurt ran toward the back of the car, laughing hysterically as he struggled to grasp onto the car's slippery trunk. Blaine was having no better luck and soon water was dripping from his hair.

"There goes all my gel," he said as he finally pried the trunk open and grabbed Kurt's bag.

Kurt clutched his flowers and jogged to the door, Blaine close behind him. When they reached the overhang of the porch, Kurt bent over putting his hands on his knees, slightly winded from the running.

"You weren't kidding," he said between breaths.

Blaine clicked the lock in the front door and walked inside, feeling around the interior wall for the light switch. Once the lights illuminated, he dropped the bag and turned back toward Kurt, motioning for him to come inside.

As Kurt walked in, he looked at the pool of water forming at Blaine's feet. "We better dry off and get these clothes in the dryer, stat," he said. "Your mom will kill us if we ruin the floor."

Blaine looked at Kurt suggestively, "let me help you out of those clothes," he said while tugging at Kurt's drenched shirt, suggesting that they dry off upstairs in Blaine's room.

Without hesitating, Kurt hurried after Blaine up the stairs. Arriving at Blaine's room, Kurt shut the door behind him and was immediately encountered with Blaine pushing him up against the door with his forceful, yet loving, kisses.

"I really hope you weren't kidding about what you said earlier," Blaine breathed between kisses.

Kurt moved his hands to the sides of Blaine's shirt, pulling it over his head and throwing it haphazardly on the floor. Blaine's skin was quickly filled with goose bumps as a reaction to the wetness of his skin and the cool air. His lips reached out again for Kurt's, this time their tongues became entangled as they passionately latched onto each other for warmth and closeness.

Blaine pulled away to once again unbutton Kurt's shirt. He didn't even bother looking at the buttons, but kept eye contact with Kurt the whole time, eager to bask in every wave in Kurt's blue eyes. Kurt kept his hands cupped at Blaine's cheeks, holding onto the face he hoped to look into for the next eighty years. "I love you, Kurt," he said as he finally reached the final button. He peeled the shirt from his skin and dropped it on the floor.

"I love you too," Kurt said, going in for a sweet kiss. He reached up and fingered through Blaine's now soaked curls that had sprung free when the gel washed away. "I can't wait to tell you that every day."

Blaine beamed. He moved his hands so they were at Kurt's waist at the small of his back. He kissed Kurt on the cheek, then lightly on the nose, then on the lips. "I can't wait to _show_ you every."

Kurt got chills. _This closeness, this feeling, this love… forever_, he thought as Blaine used his hands to guide Kurt toward his bed. Blaine kicked off his shoes and insisted that Kurt sit down so he could help him remove his boots.

Once their shoes had been removed, they laid facing each other on the bed. Blaine reached out and cupped Kurt's face, running his thumb along his cheekbone. Kurt smiled and looked lovingly at Blaine while starting to fumble with Blaine's zipper. "Come here," he said as he reached behind Blaine's back and pulled them closer. Kurt met their closeness with a supple kiss and finally managed to unbutton and unzip Blaine's pants, giving him a peek of his black boxer briefs.

Blaine pulled his eyes away from Kurt's in order to pull off his sopping jeans while Kurt struggled with his own pants. Once both were left in their underwear, Blaine pulled Kurt's waist toward his own and linked their legs together.

Blaine's doe-like hazel eyes said more than words ever could as Kurt looked at him in awe of his boyfriend. "Your eyes tell me everything," Kurt said. "Every time you look at me, I can almost see all of your feelings; the ways you love me, the strength behind your every action, the sadness of us not being together everyday. But I hope you can see in mine the pride I have for being able to call you my own."

Blaine shifted slightly in order to meet his lips with Kurt's. After a quick peck, he pulled away, eyes still shining as beautifully as ever. "You're all I've ever wanted, Kurt."

Feeling Blaine's warmth through his words and his body, Kurt leaned in for a deep, lingering kiss. He licked Blaine's lips slightly, aching for their tongues to be as intertwined as their bodies.

Kurt rolled Blaine on top of him, yearning to feel the weight of his boyfriend on his body. With their weight against each other, their hardness could no longer be hidden in the darkness of their boxer briefs. Taking this as a green light, Blaine positioned himself adeptly between Kurt's legs so his dick was positioned directly next to Kurt's, their boxer briefs still straining to keep their hard-ons in place.

As Blaine pushed his hips down onto Kurt's, his mouth opened slightly for a moan and Kurt took the opportunity to ensnare his tongue with Blaine's once again. With each motion of Blaine's hips, a gasp escaped his mouth as Kurt's nails dug into his back; hoping to hold onto this moment and pleasure for as long as possible.

Blaine pulled away from the kiss and used his arms to support himself, grinding harder against Kurt's rock-hard penis. Blaine kept his eyes closed in ecstasy as Kurt gazed at him, looking at every muscle as it rippled on his biceps and chest with each thrust, his long eyelashes pushing hard against his cheeks as he tried to delight in everything he was feeling.

Kurt kept his hands at Blaine's back, feeling the arch of his back twitch with pleasure. As Blaine kept the pace, Kurt was soon struggling to keep his breath up due to his overwhelming desire as he was nearing true ecstasy. He let out a loud wail which forced Blaine's eyes open quickly, slightly surprised by the noise emitting from his boyfriend.

"I want it, now," Kurt stammered as his hand darted toward the bedside table searching for lube and a condom.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Blaine breathed, going in for a quick kiss before flinging the drawer open and gathering his supplies. Kurt used this time to push Blaine's boxer briefs off, letting them gather at his knees. Kurt arched his back forcing his hips into Blaine's as he removed his own boxer briefs. The slightest touch of Kurt's exposed penis on Blaine's hip made him shudder and Blaine looked down at their throbbing dicks nearly touching.

"Oh god, Kurt," Blaine moaned, smashing his lips onto Kurt's. He quickly pulled away and rose to his knees between Kurt's legs, rolling the condom into place and clicking the lid of the lube open. Kurt grabbed the lube from Blaine's hand and squirted a dollop into his hand quickly before reaching for Blaine's member. The force of Kurt's nimble hands on his penis forced Blaine to lean forward in pleasure with his arms at Kurt's sides, not able to simply use his knees to support him.

Kurt continued rubbing the lube up and down expertly before Blaine whimpered, "Kurt, you have to let go. Otherwise it'll be over too soon."

Kurt giggled and released Blaine's penis from his slippery hand. Blaine took the lube from Kurt's hands and lightly placed some of the product at Kurt's entrance. Kurt squirmed, from the chill of the lube and the desire raging from his core to feel Blaine inside of him.

As Blaine removed his hand from Kurt's ass, Kurt started to position himself with his back facing Blaine before he stopped him. "I want to see your face," Blaine said, positioning his hands on Kurt's waist to keep him in place. "I want to look into your eyes, smile at each crinkle your nose makes, link our lips - as we do this."

Kurt shuddered, the sweetness behind Blaine's words resonating in his foundation. "Okay," he said quietly.

Blaine took his length into his hands as he started to ease himself into Kurt. Kurt winced slightly as Blaine entered him, the slight pain soon changing to pleasure as each inch was engulfed. Seeing the look on Kurt's face, Blaine went even slower as he entered. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Kurt looked at him, slightly in a haze from feeling his boyfriend inside him for the first time in a month. "I'm more than okay," he said as he reached out and grazed his hand on Blaine's chest.

Blaine smirked and let out a slight moan, signaling that he was in. He lowered himself onto Kurt's body and looked deeply into his eyes, feeling his penis rub inside Kurt. Blaine placed one arm next to Kurt's shoulder and reached out to touch his earlobe and his neck, finding his sweet spot and rubbing it lightly. Kurt took Blaine's spare hand into his own gently placing his fingers between his lover's, eager for every part of their bodies to be connected.

Kurt smiled and looked into Blaine's eyes as he slowly started pumping. As the rhythm continued to quicken, a smile took to Blaine's face – mixing his pure pleasure with the giddiness he felt being with Kurt. His breath started to match his pace; accelerating with each passing second as Kurt writhed with delight beneath him.

Kurt kept his gaze intent on Blaine's, love seeping through each crack of blue in his eyes as joy radiated from his insides. Each thrust brought Kurt closer and closer and soon he had to abandon Blaine's gaze to focus on the orgasm that was quickly approaching. He clamped his eyes shut, the pleasure about to burst from his penis as it rubbed against Blaine's stomach.

"No," Blaine said harshly between gasps for air. "I want you to look at me when you come."

Kurt flicked his eyes open and his mouth soon began to gape, the overwhelming orgasm rearing to a head.

"BLAINE!" Kurt yelled as his juices flew from his throbbing member, still peering into Blaine's mesmerizing eyes; eager to watch his boyfriend as he was also getting close to finishing off.

Blaine continued to pant for air, but quickly smashed his lips against Kurt's for a passionate kiss before pulling back, looking at Kurt while savoring the ecstasy of his own orgasm. As Blaine's thrusts slowed, he crooked his head and placed his forehead on Kurt's before kissing him gently on his nose.

"God, I love you so much," he whispered, bringing chills up Kurt's spine.

With one last push Blaine collapsed between Kurt's legs, not wanting to leave the place that brought him so much pleasure; their naked chests beaded with sweat. Blaine nestled his head into Kurt's chest while Kurt looked over to his right. He noticed that they were still holding hands; through every push, every kiss, and every moment of their liaison.

"You realize we've been holding hands this whole time?" Kurt asked, grinning.

"You always did say the touch of the finger tips is as sexy as it gets," Blaine retorted as he squeezed Kurt's hand.

Kurt looked down at Blaine laying on him, fully glowing from the post-orgasm glow. He beamed. "I would like to withdraw my previous statement. I'm pretty sure _this_ is as sexy as it gets."


	15. Momma's Boy

Blaine and Kurt lay in bed together for a moment, clinging onto every moment together, naked in Blaine's bed. Kurt's fingers found themselves intertwined in Blaine's luxurious curls, as Blaine's arms lay wrapped around Kurt's torso, feeling him breathe beneath him.

"Blaine? You up there?" the boys heard coming from downstairs.

"Shit!" Blaine exclaimed, practically throwing himself off Kurt, elbowing him in the head in the process. "It's my mom."

"Ow! Blaine, don't be so rough getting up next time," Kurt said, a faint chuckle piercing through his command.

"Oh, babe, I'm sorry. She – just – scared me," he said, yanking the condom off his flaccid penis and throwing it into the trash. "Uh, yeah mom. I'll be down in a minute," he yelled as he cracked the door to ensure she could hear him, afraid that she might try to walk into his room while they were in a compromising position.

"Hey, you jump in the shower. I'll – uh – pick up a bit," Blaine suggested, slightly embarrassed at the sight of the condom wrapper and lube haphazardly thrown on the floor during their moment of passion and the thought that his mom would barge in his door at any minute.

"Sounds good. I'll be quick. But, oh, my bag is downstairs. Can you grab it for me?" Kurt asked.

"Of course."

Kurt laid in bed, throwing the covers over his nakedness, and watched as Blaine threw on his boxer briefs and a pair of sweatpants that were delicately folded on his dresser. Blaine bent over next to Kurt to pick up the lube bottle when he noticed Kurt looking at him.

"Uh, can I help you Mr. Hummel?" Blaine joked.

"I can't help it that I just want to stare at you all the time!" he replied, feigning shock that such an appalling question would come from Blaine's lips.

Blaine rolled his eyes. "You're so creepy sometimes."

Kurt laughed as he slowly rose to his feet, pulling the covers along with him to cover himself up as he made his way to the shower in Blaine's room. Even though they'd been together for awhile, he still felt weird knowing Blaine could see him walking around naked without sex on the agenda.

"You don't have to keep that wrapped around you, you know," Blaine stated, as if he could read the thoughts passing through Kurt's mind as he walked by.

"If you say so," Kurt replied as he dropped the sheets off his body before entering the bathroom and clicking the door shut.

Kurt looked at himself in the mirror. _Well, this simply will not do_, he said to himself as he attempted to smooth his ruffled hair and inspected his slightly hickeys that Blaine had so lovingly bestowed upon him. He turned the water on and hopped in. _Thank god Blaine is gay – I can't imagine ever having this many products to choose from if this was Finn's shower_, he laughed to himself as he lathered the shampoo into his hair.

After his hair care routine was complete, he sashayed out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. Checking his skin one final time in the steamed mirror, he pushed the door open and found his bag sitting on the edge of Blaine's bed. As he unzipped it, he heard Blaine call up to him from downstairs, "Kurt, come down whenever you're ready."

"Okay!" Kurt yelled back as he removed his clothes from the bag. After choosing his comfy clothes and dressing himself – in a loose-fitting pair of jeans with a black v-neck – he combed through his hair with his fingers and walked downstairs.

Upon descending the staircase he saw Blaine sitting at the kitchen bar, finally wearing a t-shirt and gnawing on an apple while talking light-heartedly with his mom. Kurt stood just outside the threshold looking at Blaine and his mom in awe of their relationship, their casual chats, and the way he smiled with his eyes when he laughed with her. It made him miss his mom.

"Oh, there you are," Blaine said, reaching out for Kurt from his seat.

Kurt peeked in and saw Mrs. Anderson smiling as she was making dinner. When Blaine motioned for Kurt, she turned to him and smiled, "Hi Kurt. It's so nice to have you joining us this weekend. Are you sure your parents won't mind that you're staying with us instead of them?" she asked, her genuine smile still shining on her face.

"Oh, no. Dad's seen me enough for the past 18 years," Kurt replied. "Besides, I'm here to spend time with Blaine. I'll probably swing by at some point, but they know I'm not spending the night with them."

She looked back at Blaine, who was grinning with his arm wrapped around Kurt's waist. "I know Blaine is glad to have you here. He's really missed you. In fact he wouldn't stop-"

"Mom!" Blaine cried.

Kurt blushed, "oh please, Blaine. The gig is up."

"Oh sweetie, it's cute. Besides, I don't think Kurt minds the attention."

"It's true; I don't," Kurt said matter-of-factly.

Blaine let go of Kurt's waist and turned his attention back to his mom and their previous conversation. Kurt pulled up a seat next to Blaine and watched Mrs. Anderson. She was on the shorter side for a woman with curly, dark brown hair and pristine green eyes. Despite the fact that she was in her mid-fifties, she could easily pass for her late thirties thanks to flawless skin and excellent Eurasian genetics. Her style was a lot like Blaine's, classic with a twist. He wouldn't be surprised if he peeked in her closet and most of her labels said Ralph Lauren or Brooks Brothers with some Kate Spade mixed in.

"Kurt? Earth to Kurt?" Blaine said, poking Kurt in the ribs.

"Oh, uh, sorry. What did I miss?"

"What do you have planned with Blaine this weekend?" she asked as she stirred the marinara sauce on the stovetop.

He looked at Blaine who replied with a cheesy smile rather than any answers. "Well, we hadn't really talked about it. But I suppose we'll just do what we used to do until I have to leave Monday afternoon," Kurt said, twiddling his thumbs nervously. _Oh god, I didn't have any dates planned or anything specific in mind when I came here. So much for romance_, he thought to himself.

Blaine could probably sense the uneasiness in his response, so he replied. "We'll probably go to a movie, eat at Breadstix of course, possibly spend some time with any of the New Directions folks who are in town. Really, I just want to spend all my time with him," he finished and grabbed Kurt's hands as they lay in his lap.

"You two are too adorable," Mrs. Anderson said, turning away for a moment to check on the pasta that was cooking on the other stove top behind her. With Mrs. Anderson turned away, Blaine snuck in a chaste kiss.

"I saw that, Blaine," she said, chuckling as she turned around to see Blaine's lips still on Kurt's.

"Geez, mom. Way to cramp my style," he laughed as he pulled away from Kurt's face.

"Well, please don't let me get in your way. It'll just be us tonight; your father is working at a game so he won't be back until later. Why don't you boys go watch a movie or something upstairs and I'll call you down when dinner is ready. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect. Thanks mom," Blaine chirped, taking Kurt's hand into his own and leading them back upstairs.


	16. Love Is All Around Us

Blaine tugged on Kurt's hand as he practically ran up the stairs.

"Simmer down, Blaine. We're not running a marathon here," Kurt huffed as they reached the top of the stairs.

Blaine slowed down and turned toward Kurt who was a little winded. "Sorry. I just wanted to rush out of there so I could spend more time with you. Alone." Blaine looked at Kurt with his puppy dog eyes as he opened the door to their entertainment room and clicked on the lights.

"You better quit making those puppy dog eyes at me," Kurt insisted as he wagged his finger at him. "You know that is totally unnecessary."

This made Blaine only emphasize the look on his face, exaggerating his lips as they made their way into a pouty frown. "But baaaaaby…" he whined.

Kurt rolled his eyes and bopped Blaine on the nose. "Oh, you," he said, plopping down onto the dark leather sofa across from the TV.

Blaine's face quickly contorted to its normal appearance and he walked over to the DVD collection which flanked both sides of the television. He perused for a moment, skipping over movies Kurt would hate. _Scarface, no way. Tangled, nah. Titanic, too long. Moulin Rouge, just saw it. _"What would you like to watch?" he asked as he turned to Kurt. "I can't decide."

"How about Love Actually?" Kurt suggested. "It's such an amazing movie and I haven't seen it in awhile. Plus, it's romantic and a little sad at times too."

"Kurt, that's kind of a Christmas movie. Christmas isn't for another few months," Blaine stated, pointing to the calendar on the wall noting that it was October.

"Like it really matters. Besides, Christmas is one of _your_ favorite times of year. I'm surprised you're protesting my selection."

Blaine chuckled as he turned the DVD player on and slipped the DVD into place. "I'm never opposed to Christmas movies, especially not this one. I'm just glad I get to watch the movie with you here in person rather than Skyping each other and chatting through our movie nights."

As Blaine pushed play and headed back toward the couch, he looked at Kurt whose smile had changed into a slight frown. Blaine was worried that he said something wrong.

"Honey, what's wrong?" he asked as he eased onto the couch next to Kurt.

Kurt sighed. "I thought that having a long distance relationship would be easier than it is. I keep thinking back to a piece of advice I got from Mr. Shue when I left for New York. He said that long distance relationships require so much more work than one where we see each other every day since we have to fight for each moment together." Blaine saw him look over at him for a moment before shifting his eyes back to his nervous hands. "I don't want to break up, ever. We've made that clear. But I don't want to feel like you're 'on the side' or a part-time _job_ or something. Knowing that next weekend I'll be in New York and we'll be doing movie night over Skype yet again makes me a little melancholy."

Kurt stood up and started pacing as the thoughts he'd been keeping in spewed from his mouth, with Blaine watching him nervously from the couch. "I know that this year is just a blip in time and that come this time next year, things will be totally different. But I can't help but live in this moment right now and feel like I don't get enough of you. Don't get me wrong, every second we're together, it's like I'm on cloud nine. But then during the train ride home, I get depressed and wonder if you'll think all of this is worth it in a few months."

Kurt shoved his hands into his pockets as he turned on his heel. "Blaine, I-I…"

Blaine got up from the couch and stood directly in Kurt's path, colliding with him when he turned to continue pacing. "Kurt. Stop." He said, reaching out and grasping Kurt's wrists. Blaine looked at him, but Kurt couldn't meet his gaze. "Look at me." Kurt tilted his head forward slightly, meeting Blaine's eyes as worry and sadness seeped from each look.

"You are worth it. You'll always be worth it." Kurt smiled slightly, but the grin hadn't reached his eyes. "Look, we've already had a rough few months. And Mr. Shue was right, this year is probably going to suck," Blaine said as he placed his hands on Kurt's shoulders. "But know that since we have each other now and we get each other in the end, this year won't be able to shake us."

Kurt's eyes looked less worried as Blaine spoke softly. "I am so in love with you, Kurt," Blaine choked as he pulled Kurt in for a hug. With Kurt's shoulders under his own, he could feel Kurt sink into the hug and wrap his hands around Blaine's waist, nuzzling into Blaine's neck.

"Just promise me that even when things are busy and you're having a rough day, that we can talk about it. I don't care how – Facebook, email, text, or Skype. I just want to feel like I'm here," Kurt said quietly, barely loud enough for Blaine to hear.

Blaine pulled away and kept his arms around Kurt's neck, still feeling his boyfriend's arms on his hips. "You're always here," he said, motioning toward his heart.

Kurt's eyes cracked a tear as he pulled Blaine in for an even closer hug. They stood there for a moment, in each other's arms, until Kurt finally looked over at the movie.

"Ooh, this is my favorite part. I love the wedding scene!" he exclaimed, as if snapping out of his sadness for the sake of the rom-com. Blaine knew that Kurt was trying to change the subject and hint toward something lighter for awhile since they'd done enough crying in the past few weeks. Though he knew this topic would likely come up again, he was slightly thankful for a change of tone - at least for a little while. Blaine just snickered as Kurt turned back toward him. "What? It's so sweet! With the band and The Beatles' song. So cute."

"You're such a romantic."

"But you love it."

"Yes, I do. And I love you too," Blaine said as he headed back to the couch to get comfortable for the rest of the movie. He sat down on the couch and reclined slightly onto its arm as Kurt stayed next to the television, eyes glued to its screen like a moth to the flame.

"Uh, Kurt. You are going to make yourself go blind standing so close to the TV. Come and sit with me."

Kurt came out of his haze and joined Blaine on the couch, eyes still turned on the TV. As he slunk into position on Blaine's chest, Blaine put his chin in Kurt's hair and draped his arm over his shoulder. Despite the fact that Kurt had seen this movie a billion times, he still watched it as if it was his first; and he couldn't help but smile at how adorable his boyfriend was. Feeling Kurt's warmth against his chest, he sighed and his breath soon slowed as he drifted off to sleep.


	17. Mrs Anderson

As The Beach Boys' 'God Only Knows' played over the final moments of the movie, Kurt reached up and dried the tear that had fallen from his face. _This movie gets me every time_, he thought to himself. He shifted slightly, realizing he hadn't moved since the movie started and looked up at Blaine, finding him sound asleep.

He carefully lifted himself from Blaine's chest, slowly moving his arm off his shoulder until it rested at his side. He sat on the edge of the couch and just looked at his sleeping boyfriend; his long lashes cascading on his cheeks, his mouth slightly open with his heavy breathing, hair still curly due to the product being washed from his hair. Kurt couldn't help but beam at the sight.

He lightly lifted himself off the couch and headed toward the door. Looking back at his resting lover, he dimmed the lights and gingerly closed the door behind him. _What a cutie_, he thought.

As he entered the hallway, Kurt could smell a delightful aroma filling the upstairs air. Following his nose, he went downstairs to find Mrs. Anderson sitting at the kitchen table working on the crossword puzzle from today's paper. She looked deep in thought with her glasses perched on her nose and pen tapping on her teeth as if the answer to the riddle was on the tip of her tongue. Kurt quietly walked toward her and sat at the island bar, trying to give her space to think about her puzzle. He shifted the chair back and made the slightest noise, causing Mrs. Anderson to jump slightly.

"Oh, hi Kurt. Sorry I didn't see you there. I'm on my last few clues so I'm pretty oblivious to what's going on around me," she said in his direction before turning back to her puzzle.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Anderson. I'm happy to just sit here and smell your lovely cooking."

"Don't be silly, please join me at the table." Kurt obliged, hopping off the bar stool and slipping into the seat across from her.

"A-ha! D-e-s-p-o-t. Only one left," she exclaimed. "So, Kurt. How's New York?" she asked, still focused on the puzzle.

"It's – uh – it's okay. Work is great." He paused. Mrs. Anderson looked up at Kurt, whose eyes were focused on the window next to the table, clearly avoiding her gaze.

"What aren't you telling me, Kurt?"

He sighed. "It gets lonely sometimes, though. You wouldn't think in a city with millions of people that I'd feel so lonely," he replied.

"You miss him, don't you?" she asked, turning her head to the side the same way Blaine did when he was trying to get Kurt to fess up to something.

"Does it seem silly to be so, I don't know, incomplete with Blaine around? I'm worried I'm starting to sound like a crazed teenage girl when I think about it. Or when I say it…" Kurt said, trailing off as his thoughts took over.

Mrs. Anderson smiled sweetly. "I'm sure it's a little weird at your age to feel so strongly about someone. And it doesn't help that society keeps telling you that you're too young to be in love." Kurt nodded slightly, remembering the many conversations he'd had with his father about the dangers of falling in love while he was so young.

"But I see how you look at my son. Your actions speak far louder than your words, Kurt. I don't know exactly how you feel about Blaine – I surmise that he does – but if you feel foolish for loving someone, that's just silly. You love who you love dear. It doesn't matter how old or young you are. And I know you love Blaine; that much I can tell."

Kurt smiled. He felt so safe talking to Mrs. Anderson. Though he had Carole, Mrs. Anderson was like another mother. Even though she had only known Kurt for as long as he and Blaine had been together, she always welcomed him with a warm smile and open arms. During the times where school was rough, he could lean on her for a hug and a listening ear.

"You're the best, Mrs. Anderson," Kurt stated. "I can see why Blaine is so grounded."

She blushed slightly. "Oh, it's my job as his mom. And please, call me Jane."

"Can I call you Mrs. A instead? I feel strange calling an adult by their first name."

"Sure thing," she chuckled. "Why don't you go get Blaine? I'm guessing he fell asleep watching the movie. He's been doing that his whole life. I'm not sure if he's ever seen an entire movie since he does that so frequently."

"Okay Mrs. A," Kurt said. Just as he was about to leave the kitchen, he turned back and looked at her. "And, thanks."

"Of course."


	18. Dinner Time

Blaine could feel his body shaking as he lay comfortably on the couch.

"Blaine. Sweetie. You need to wake up," he heard Kurt whisper as he shook his shoulders to wake him.

Blaine didn't want to open his eyes, so he just moaned and covered his eyes with his arms. He felt Kurt slither next to him on the couch, trying to nudge him out of his comfort zone with the hopes that he'd finally get up.

"I don't want to wake up yet," Blaine mumbled.

"Babe, you've been asleep for awhile. And dinner is ready," Kurt said quietly.

Blaine groaned and put his arms around Kurt's waist, pulling him on top of him slightly. Kurt squealed. "No way, Blaine. You aren't dragging me into letting you sleep any more. I'm starving!"

Blaine's eyes flicked open and he saw Kurt looking at him intently with his hands resting on Blaine's shoulders. An evil smile crept on Blaine's face as he soon started to gingerly move his hands up and down Kurt's sides, soon tickling him feverishly as Kurt started flailing in response.

"BLAINE! STOP IT!" Kurt urged between fits of laughter. Blaine giggled. Knowing Kurt was so ticklish was one of the cutest things about his boyfriend. He certainly would never get tired of hearing the laugh that boomed from Kurt's mouth every time he tickled him. "I'm SERIOUS!" he exclaimed.

Blaine's fingers stopped and Kurt took the reprieve to catch his breath. "If I had known that we would be doing so much working out – between the running and the tickling – I would have worn my gym clothes," Kurt quipped.

"I promise, no more 'working out' for you. So, dinner's ready?"

"Yup. Your mom is downstairs waiting for us," Kurt said, lifting himself off the couch and reaching out for Blaine's hand. "Ready?"

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and used the force to pull off the couch. "Ready? I'm famished. Let's go!" Blaine said as be breezed past Kurt and ran down the stairs. As he ran into the kitchen, he saw that his mom had already set the table and was draining the pasta in the sink. Blaine got a hot pad for the sauce and placed it on the table as his mom came up behind him with the colander full of noodles and the saucepan with the marinara.

Just as the food had been placed on the table, Kurt chose an empty seat as Blaine grabbed the glasses from the table to fill with water. He looked at Kurt, who was calmly placing his napkin into his lap. Kurt looked up, meeting Blaine's stare.

"You said no more working out. I didn't see the need to run down the stairs like we were about the plunder the kitchen," he said, sarcasm dripping with his every word. Blaine rolled his eyes and retreated to the refrigerator to fill the glasses.

He juggled the three glasses and sat at the table, joining Kurt and his mom who had finally taken her seat at the head of the table. Kurt nodded a silent thank you as Blaine placed the glass in front of him.

Blaine's mom smiled. "I have a toothache from you two being so sweet," she said as she served herself some pasta.

"Well, mom, I learned from you and dad," Blaine said as he placed the final glass in front of his mom.

Mrs. Anderson looked at Blaine, smiling, before shifting her gaze to Kurt. "I'm just so glad you boys have each other," she said, passing the pasta to Blaine.

Kurt smiled at Blaine from across the table. His blue eyes were filled with pride, looking into the embers of Blaine's hazel stare. Blaine grinned back, using his foot under the table to lightly rub Kurt's legs. "I'm glad, too."


	19. We Are Family

The next morning, Kurt awoke in the cool, dark guest bedroom of Blaine's house. Even though their families were fine with the boys spending the night at each other's houses, they still drew the line that they had to be in separate beds once it came to bedtime. That usually didn't stop them though since they would often sneak into each other's rooms in the middle of the night, eager to spend their nights spooning and sharing soft kisses until sleep hit their drowsy eyes.

This morning was no exception. As Kurt groggily sat up he saw that Blaine had joined him in the middle of the night, becoming the little spoon inside Kurt's frame. Kurt looked at him and beamed and rested his hand on Blaine's hip as he lay spooning the space that once held Kurt's body. Blaine rustled under Kurt's touch.

"Mmmmorning," Blaine said sleepily. He rolled over and placed his arms over his eyes, still not ready to face the morning. Kurt laughed.

"Do you realize you always do that thing with your arms when you don't want to wake up? You fold them as if you're going to cross them in front of your chest and place them on your forehead. Then you don't open your eyes again for what seems like an eternity until I finally make you get up, by some force of God."

Blaine pouted, still keeping his arms covering his eyes. "Whatever," he said, still not his perky self. Kurt was always a morning person; Blaine was not. It was one of the few areas in their lives that they were total opposites, but Kurt thought it suited them well since they couldn't have everything alike, could they?

"You can go ahead and lie there if you like. I'm going to get in the shower, get dressed, and get going. If you don't want to join me, I'll just have to go hang out with my _other_ boyfriend," Kurt said, poking Blaine's ribs as he rose to his feet.

"You're mean," Blaine stated, still pouting over being woken up.

Kurt got out of bed and continued on his morning routine; shower, facial inspection, outfit selection, dressing, brush teeth, style hair. By the time he was ready to truly begin the day, Blaine was snoring softly again with his arms still shading his eyes. Kurt couldn't help but laugh. Blaine was normally so wise, so strong and so mature but the moment that he had to wake up, he acted like a child.

Looking at the clock and noting that it was nearly ten, Kurt decided Blaine had to get up. He crept quietly to the foot of the bed and waited for a moment; getting a final look at Blaine. Then he leapt from the foot of the bed and pounced on Blaine, causing the entire bed to shake and Blaine to jump up in alarm. They would have hit each other in the head if Kurt hadn't moved slightly to the right in order to avoid colliding with Blaine's forehead.

"Uf! Kurt!" Blaine exclaimed, slightly irritated. "I was having a really good dream!"

Kurt sighed. He ended up practically belly flopping onto Blaine and found himself laying with his legs on either side of Blaine's with one arm outstretched onto Blaine's chest and the other supported the weight of his head as he sought to look at Blaine as he was still slowly waking up. "I'm sorry to wake you up from your dream. But we're losing precious time together. Let's go do something," Kurt suggested.

Blaine huffed, but finally sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Okay, okay," he consented. Kurt pulled off Blaine and sat Indian-style on the bed as Blaine dragged himself toward the bathroom. Blaine still had barely cracked his eyes but he finally made his way into the bathroom and clicked the door shut.

"I love you!" Kurt cried as the door shut.

"Mmhmm," Blaine said, still too sleepy to formulate thoughts or loving sentiments.

Kurt heard the shower turn on and he took the quiet moment to look around the guest room. Per usual for the Andersons, the room was well stocked and well maintained with plenty of guest towels, sheets and even tiny shampoo and conditioner bottles in case one of their guests had forgotten theirs at home. Even though it felt a little like a hotel room, the Anderson's house always managed to feel homey. Sprayed around the room were family photos; ones of Blaine and Cooper when they were kids, Christmas photos over the years, a photo of Mr. and Mrs. Anderson at a football game, and one that they had taken of the whole Anderson clan that summer during their vacation to St. Simon's Island where their family vacation home was located.

Looking at all of the smiling photos of the Andersons, he was glad that Blaine came from a loving family like his own. When Blaine first mentioned that his dad had tried to convince him that he wasn't gay, Kurt was worried that his dad wasn't supportive of Blaine's sexual orientation. But after meeting Mr. Anderson for the first time, he noted that it wasn't that he wasn't supportive of Blaine, he just wasn't sure what to do with a gay teenager. His generation hadn't prepared him to be supportive or understanding of homosexuality, but with a lot of time and heart-to-hearts with Blaine, Mr. Anderson had become one of Blaine's biggest allies when he was getting bullied at his old school and was very supportive when Blaine wanted to transfer to McKinley to be with Kurt. He still struggled from time to time, knowing that his son wouldn't have a wife or potentially natural children, but he still loved and cared for Blaine and that love was now extended to Kurt as Blaine's boyfriend.

Kurt snapped out of his trance when he saw Blaine emerge from the bathroom.

"How much longer will you be?" he asked impatiently.

"Another five minutes or so," Blaine replied. "I don't have nearly as vigorous a routine as you, so I shouldn't take too long."

Kurt stuck his tongue out at him. "Beauty ain't cheap, Blaine."

Blaine laughed and bent down to kiss Kurt on the forehead. "You could wear a bag over your head for the rest of your life and I'd still think you were beautiful."

Kurt grinned. "Okay, go to your room and get dressed. I'll meet you out in the car. I think I know what we're going to do today."

* * *

_A/N: Thank you to all of you who are following and have favorited this story. I have some exciting chapters coming up soon! If you have any recommendations on any other fic I should check out, let me know - I'm always interested in reading something new._


	20. Should I Stay or Should I Go

Blaine got dressed in two minutes, having already picked out what he was going to wear the night before. He had decided on a black gingham shirt covered with a green v-neck sweater tucked into gray pants and his signature black wingtips. Once dressed, he took an additional two to tame his curls. After ensuring that every lock was in place he jogged down the stairs and checked in the kitchen to see if his parents were lingering after their breakfast to say goodbye for the day. As he walked into the room he saw his parents huddled at the kitchen table, talking quietly. They both looked over at Blaine and stopped talking as soon as he entered the room with guilty looks on their faces.

"Hey guys, everything okay?" Blaine asked.

Mr. Anderson looked at Blaine, a slight difference in his eyes to his normally twinkly gaze. "Yeah, bud. Everything is fine. Kurt headed out a while ago, you better not keep him waiting," Mr. Anderson said, keeping his view on Blaine.

Blaine turned to his mom making sure it was okay that he left even though it seemed like they were having an adult conversation. She nodded slightly and gestured toward the door, encouraging him to join his boyfriend.

"Uh, okay. Thanks dad. I have my phone. Call me if you need me. I'll let you know when we'll be home," Blaine said as he turned toward the front door.

"Bye son," Mr. Anderson called after him. "I love you."

"Love you too. Love you, mom," he said as he turned the knob. As he headed toward his car, he couldn't understand what he had just walked in on. _Were they fighting? Did someone die? Was Cooper okay?_ The worst of possibilities were crossing his mind as he opened the passenger door and joined Kurt who was at the wheel of Blaine's Sentra.

He continued thinking as he buckled his seat belt and faced forward, still not meeting Kurt's gaze.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Kurt asked, noticing that his boyfriend was being exceedingly quiet.

Blaine shook himself out of his thoughts and turned to Kurt. He smiled slightly to let Kurt know that everything would be fine. "Oh, nothing. Just wondering what we're going to do today," he said.

Kurt smiled. "Well, I was thinking we could go to our old hangout, The Lima Bean, and then go to a movie. Your pick."

"That sounds great. Let's go, Geronimo," Blaine said. He forced the thought of his parent's conversation into the back of his mind and grabbed Kurt's hand, allowing his boyfriend's touch to drown out the thoughts in his head.


	21. Love In a Coffee Shop

Kurt turned into The Lima Bean's parking lot and found a spot towards the back of the lot. With fall in full swing, people seemed to start ingesting coffee more frequently now that the temperatures were cooler and the menu featured pumpkin-flavored drinks and baked goods. He shuddered a little when he thought about the fact that he was working here a few months ago before he moved to New York. He was afraid he was going to become a Lima Loser but Blaine had come to his rescue and encouraged him to follow his dreams and go to New York with Rachel.

He looked over at Blaine who was still holding his hand but had remained quiet during their ten-minute drive. "Blaine, are you sure everything is okay?" Kurt pressed.

Blaine jumped slightly once Kurt spoke. It was almost as if he had forgotten that Kurt was there. "Yeah. My parents were just acting kind of weird this morning, so I'm over analyzing their reaction," he stated, slightly embarrassed that he would think that way.

"It's okay to be worried. They seemed like they were fine when I saw them on my way out. But you know if something was up, your parents would tell you." He paused. "Don't worry about it too much, honey," Kurt said sweetly.

Blaine looked at him, his eyes worried but his smile suggested that Kurt was right. "I know. You're right. I just over-think things too much. It really gets the best of me sometimes."

"It happens. That's why it takes me so long to get ready. I over analyze every outfit choice."

Blaine laughed. Kurt's heart swelled. He loved it when Blaine laughed. "It's not quite the same thing, but thank you for being so empathetic," Blaine said as he pinched Kurt's cheek.

Kurt playfully slapped his hand away. "You're not my grandmother, so no cheek pinching allowed."

Blaine sighed. "Fine. Spoil sport." He winked and opened the door. Kurt followed suit and met Blaine at the door to The Lima Bean and rushed a few steps ahead of Blaine to hold the door open for him.

"Why, thank you kind sir," he said, bowing slightly as he crossed the threshold.

A few months away and the place still had hardly changed. Kurt hadn't expected it to change but he thought it might feel different going back there after all the memories that place held for him. But it felt the same, in a good way. The only difference was that fall-themed decorations were now displayed where the iced drink promotions had been the summer that he worked there. He breathed in deeply as the aroma of pumpkin spice and cinnamon filled his nostrils and walked toward the counter.

Thankfully, Kurt didn't recognize any of the people behind the counter, which meant he didn't have to go through the motions of "oh, how is New York?" "great, how is Lima?" chit-chat. Blaine had just approached the counter to place their orders so Kurt decided to grab a table, _their_ table, and wait.

He sat and stared at the table's chestnut veneer. He lightly traced his hands over the top of the table as if touching it ignited all the memories he shared with Blaine at the coffee shop. Memories came pouring out as if his fingertips had forced them forward; their coffee chats with Mercedes and Rachel, their first fight after Blaine kissed Rachel, the time they said their first 'I love you', the moment Blaine knew he would be transferring to McKinley, the way Blaine stopped by The Lima Bean every day that Kurt worked there during the summer.

Blaine sat down and Kurt still focused intently on the tabletop. "Uh, Kurt. You realize you look crazy for staring at a table, right?"

He jerked himself into the present and took the coffee cup from Blaine's outstretched hand. "I am crazy. Crazy about you," he smiled, fully aware that he sounded incredibly cheesy. "We've shared a lot of memories at this table. I was just thinking about them for a moment."

A smile crept onto Blaine's face. "You're such a dork sometimes," he said, over exaggerating as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh please. You love it."


	22. You've Got a Friend

"There you guys are!" Blaine heard a familiar voice belt from the cash register. He turned around with his back facing Kurt and smiled.

"Oh, hey Sam. How's it goin', man?" Blaine said, shaking his hand and going in for a manly hug. They clapped each other twice on the back and pulled away. As he left the embrace, Blaine looked at Kurt who was rolling his eyes. _He never did understand why some guys do that_, he said to himself, laughing.

"Hey Kurt! I'm so happy to see you!" Sam said emphatically. "Dude, you have no idea how much Blaine has missed you. He has been talking about this weekend forever. Like, will not shut up."

Blaine looked at his shoes, slightly embarrassed. "Was I really talking about it all the time?" he asked.

Kurt grabbed his hand, assuring him that it was okay by him. Sam laughed, "nah, man, it's totally fine. I would do the same thing if I were dating a girl who lived in another state. I'm sure I talked a lot about Mercedes when I moved to Kentucky. I'm sure my buddies were sick of hearing about her."

Blaine smiled and took his seat across from Kurt, still holding his hand. Sam went to a nearby table and took the chair, pulling it up alongside Blaine.

"Well, Sam, it's nice to see you too," Kurt replied after Sam had plopped down next to Blaine. "I'm so glad you could hang out today."

Blaine looked at Kurt, confused. "No offense, Sam," he said as Sam shook his head, indicating that he wouldn't be offended, "but why did you ask him to hang out with us?"

"I know you're good friends with Sam, Blaine. I just thought we could all hang out as a group."

"Sam, order up," the barista yelled. Sam scooted out of his chair toward the barista, giving Blaine and Kurt a moment alone.

Kurt took a small sip of his coffee before speaking. "I want to make sure that you're okay here without me, Blaine. I am fine in New York, but I know being here at a new-ish school away from your old friends and without a lot of the New Directions kids you were friends with around, I just…" He sighed. "I just want to _know_ that you're okay. I want to see it with my own eyes. I know you probably think I'm…"

Blaine interjected, touched at what Kurt was trying to do. "You didn't have to invite Sam here and see how we'd interact and make sure I have a friend. I have the lead role in New Directions and I'm becoming more involved at McKinley .I am a big boy, I promise. Besides, I'm pretty sure Sam doesn't want to feel like the third wheel on our weekend together."

Kurt laughed. "I hadn't thought about that."

Blaine winked, "don't worry, I'll come up with an excuse so he can have an out. You aren't here to see him anyway. I want you all to myself."

Kurt gripped onto Blaine's hand even harder. Sam joined them again, looking for a moment at their interlocked hands on the table.

"If you guys are going to be all mushy all afternoon, I'm not sure I want to stick around," he joked.

Blaine rolled his eyes and turned toward his friend. "Well, now's your time to get out. Kurt's dad asked if we could stop by, so you're off the hook to hang out with us this afternoon."

Sam sighed relief, only slightly – hoping that they wouldn't notice. "That's cool. I'll see if Artie is up to anything," he said. "Kurt, it was great to see you. Enjoy your time with Blaine. And I'll see you Monday B."

"Later," Blaine said.

As he turned back from waving goodbye, he saw that Kurt was still staring at him with an unsure look on his face. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

Blaine sighed. "Yes, Kurt. I'll be fine. You can't worry about me all the time." He paused, making sure his eyes told Kurt that everything would be okay. "Now, how about a movie? Wreck-It Ralph is playing and I know how you're a sucker for Disney movies."

Kurt giggled. "It's like you know me or something."

Blaine tugged on Kurt's hand, pulling him up from the table. "I'm pretty sure I do."


	23. Reunion

After the movie, Blaine decided that it would be a good idea to visit Kurt's dad and Carole while he was in town. He suggested it as they left the theater and Kurt nodded, knowing how much he missed his dad.

Kurt drove and upon pulling into the Hummel-Hudson driveway, Kurt was beaming. Blaine looked over and just smiled, knowing that he wanted to make Kurt smile that way as much as humanly possible. Kurt didn't bother ringing the doorbell. He walked right into the garage door, practically pulling Blaine's arm out of socket from walking so fast to get inside. "Geez, Kurt. Are you a little excited to see your dad or something?" Blaine joked.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Aside from you, he's the only thing I truly miss about being here."

Walking in the door, the boys were immediately hit with the smell of Carole's cooking. It was just after lunchtime and they had even forgotten that they were hungry until they could smell Carole's baked ziti in the oven.

Carole and Burt heard the noise coming from the garage and turned toward Kurt and Blaine, a smile rushing onto her face as she reached out to envelop them in a hug. "Boys! I'm so happy to see you. Kurt, you look great. I love that jacket," she said, giving the collar a quick tug.

Burt turned to Blaine and gave him a big bear hug. "Blaine, it's been ages. So glad you could stop by." Blaine was amazed at how quickly Burt let him become a part of his family. At first he knew Burt wasn't so sure, especially considering the first time they met he was passed out on Kurt's bed after a rough night of drinking. He thought Burt would hold that against him but once he started dating Kurt and became a staple at the Hummel-Hudson household that changed.

"Actually, it was Blaine's idea to stop by this afternoon," Kurt said, smiling. "Besides, I'm glad we're here because I'm hungry and whatever you're baking smells amazing. Where did you get the recipe?"

Kurt shuffled over to Carole, who was showing Kurt the recipe she had found online. As he was huddled with his stepmom, talking animatedly about baking dishes or something about recipes, Blaine just stood back watching them bond. Blaine was amazed at how quickly Kurt seemed to connect with people. It was something Blaine wasn't really gifted at – he was shy whenever he first met people – so he was content to hang back and just watch other people chitchat. But that had changed once he met Kurt who was the epitome of a social butterfly.

Seeing how Kurt would interact with people made him push himself outside of his bubble and try to be friends with more people. Kurt could have been so reserved considering how people had treated him in the past and how homophobic most people around him were, but he wasn't. He never put his light under a bushel and Blaine couldn't help but be mesmerized by his presence when he was chatting with his many friends and close family.

It was Kurt's boldness and willingness to get to know people that encouraged him to be friends with Sam and the other seniors in New Directions. The year before, he had clung to Kurt for friendship and he couldn't do that anymore. Although their separation made him sad, in some ways it made him stronger as an individual and he was thankful that he could grow with Kurt in these new ways.

"Blaine! Hello!"

Blaine shook his head and noticed that Kurt and Carole were staring at him. Kurt looked at him expectantly, as if he had asked him an important question. "Uh…"

Carole interjected, "I asked if you'd like some lunch."

Blaine nodded his head excitedly. "Yes, please!"

Carole turned to get the dishes and Kurt was going to follow suit, but Blaine stepped forward and grabbed him around the waist pulling them together. Kurt seemed slightly surprised as Blaine placed a quick kiss on his lips.

"What was that for?" he questioned.

Blaine grinned. "That's for being you."

Kurt melted into Blaine's arms and gave him another kiss. "I'm not sure what you were thinking, but thanks. I can't be anything but me."

"I know. That's why I fell in love with you."


	24. Shift

They finished their lunches and talked for hours about New York, New Directions, and how Burt was managing to run the shop along with his duties in Congress. Kurt really missed being there in Lima with his family but he knew Blaine was right when he said that he was ready for New York.

After their conversation had turned quiet, Kurt and Blaine said their goodbyes and headed back to Blaine's. Once they got in the car, Kurt noticed that it was 7:00 and they'd spent 5 hours at his house. "Oh, I didn't realize so much time had passed," he said.

Blaine smiled. "Don't even worry about it. You needed to catch up with them; it makes you happy. Which makes me happy."

Kurt blushed as he turned up the volume of the A Chorus Line CD that had made its way into the CD player. They belted out "Hello 12, Hello 13, Hello Love" and Blaine even let Kurt sing "Nothing" even though it was one of Blaine's favorites.

They pulled into the driveway and exited the car with songs still on their lips. Blaine smiled goofily at Kurt as he took the speaking role in "Sing!" as Kurt laughed riotously when Blaine danced his way to the front door, practically tripping on the doormat as he attempted to pirouette on the concrete.

They crashed through the front door still laughing before noticing that the house was eerily quiet with all of the lights turned on. The still quiet in the Anderson household was rare and unusual, the house was normally bustling with activity and laughter even if it was just the three of them together. The second they walked through the door, it was like Blaine's personality shifted from bubbly and happy to concerned and dark. Kurt locked the door behind him as Blaine quickly walked through the house looking for his parents. He remembered that Blaine was worried about his parents when they left this morning, but Kurt was sure that everything was fine.

_Was it really fine?,_ he thought to himself as Blaine turned the corner from the kitchen, still not finding his parents. He really looked worried.

"Blaine, what is going on? You look like your parents might have disappeared. I'm sure everything is fine," Kurt said soothingly.

Blaine leaned against the wall, crossing his arms across his chest. "Do you ever get the feeling sometimes that you just **know** something is wrong?" he asked.

Kurt shrugged. "Not really. Then again, I'm not nearly as perceptive as you." Seeing the distress on Blaine's face, he stammered, "I mean, not that anything is wrong, it's just you have a way of gauging the temperature of the room and you notice a lot about… I'm really not helping am I?"

Blaine sighed and walked over to Kurt, placing his hands on his shoulders. "I know you're trying. I just, I don't know. I feel weird. Like something is off."

Kurt looked at him, unsure of what to say or think. Blaine turned away and started yelling for his parents.

"Mom? Dad?"

Kurt heard a noise come from upstairs, probably the den. The door creaked open as Mrs. A hollered down. "We're up here honey."

Blaine looked at Kurt, seeking comfort in his eyes. Kurt smiled and nodded toward the stairs, suggesting that Blaine go and talk to them and implying that he'd be here when he came back down. Blaine smiled knowingly, mouthed thank you, and rushed up the stairs and closed the door to the den behind him.

Kurt's gaze switched from the upstairs den back down to the living room where he was standing. He felt awkward knowing that the Andersons were having a family meeting upstairs while he was a guest in their house. He wasn't sure what to do, so he decided to make himself scarce while they were talking upstairs. Walking toward the back of the house, he slipped out the sliding glass door and sat under the overhang of their back patio. The Andersons had a great view of the local golf course and a nearby lake from their back porch, so he contented himself to sit quietly on the porch, admiring the view as the sun started setting over the horizon.

Sure, he loved New York, but there were still parts of Lima that he always liked. New York had green space, but Lima felt so open and airy. He breathed in the cool night air as his phone dinged with a new text message. It was from Rachel.

_How's Lima? How's Blaine? Did everything go okay?_

Kurt laughed. He knew Rachel really was wondering about how things were going in Lima, but every time they talked about home he knew that in the depths of her mind she wanted to know about Finn.

_Lima is, well, Lima. Blaine is good. He's talking with his parents about something right now. And yes, everything went more than okay._

He clicked send and smiled as he realized that things really did go more than okay. He and Blaine were more than okay. He was pulled away from his thoughts with another message from Rachel.

_I'm glad everything went okay. And I know what 'more than okay' means… you guys totally did it!_

He rolled his eyes. Somehow Rachel was still stuck in middle school. She was almost worse than Puck with how often she assumed that they had sex. It wasn't like they had sex all the time, despite what Rachel thought. Their relationship was healthy and, yes, they had sex. But it was always about more than that. They never felt pressured – well, except for that one time at Scandals, but that shouldn't count – and they did a great job showing each other how much they loved each other whether or not sex was involved. It was something he knew Rachel understood, but the straight kids from New Directions switched partners as often as he switched clothes.

_Oh please, you're just jealous. You know it's not always like that. _

He hoped that would silence her for a little while but as soon as he put his phone away, it pinged again. He sighed, hoping that it wasn't another quip from Rachel, but he saw that it was Blaine.

_Where'd you go?_

Rather than reply, Kurt yelled toward the house, "I'm outside, Blaine." He turned back to face the sunset, admiring it one last time before the sun dipped below the horizon. A few seconds later, he heard the sliding door latch click and Blaine was soon sitting next to him. Kurt put his arm up on the back of the glider he was sitting on with the expectation that Blaine would lean back into it. Instead Blaine stayed sitting forward, putting his elbows on his knees and keeping his head tucked into his chest slightly.

Kurt knew something was wrong Blaine was avoiding looking at him. "Blaine? Is everything okay? What's going on?"

Blaine sighed and coughed slightly, trying to suppress a sob. "My dad lost his job."


	25. Loss

Blaine heard Kurt gasp as Blaine revealed what happened upstairs. He knew something was up with his parents this morning and he was somewhat thankful that his parents had waited until now to tell him so he could enjoy his day with Kurt. But it left a lot of questions for him and his parents as well.

They sat in silence for a moment before Kurt spoke. "What happened?"

He sighed. "My dad says that the sports market in Columbus is shrinking. They don't have enough teams there for them to have multiple sportscasters. Since he has only been there for a few years, they decided to leave the sportscaster job for their most senior guy and they had to let him go."

Blaine wasn't sure how he felt about it. This economy was tough; people lost their jobs all the time – especially in Ohio. But it felt different knowing it was his dad who was out of a job. His dad had a career in entertainment and sports so he assumed that their industry wouldn't be as impacted as some of the other jobs in the state. But with people not being able to afford sports tickets or even cable to watch the big games, it meant that the market was shrinking.

He felt Kurt's arm go around his shoulder. He leaned into his arms slightly, still trying to take the space to process what was happening. He replayed their conversation in his head.

* * *

"What does that mean, dad? You lost your job?" Blaine asked

His dad's shoulders slumped as he sighed. "This job market is tough and the station just doesn't need as many sportscasters anymore. But don't worry, the GM will give me a glowing recommendation and a few of the guys already have their ears to the ground for a position for me," he said, a tinge of hope in his throat.

Blaine was staring at his shoes until his mom grabbed his hand and squeezed. He looked up into her eyes and she smiled tentatively. He and his mom could have endless conversations without speaking a word – their eyes did the talking for them. With that look, he knew that it would be okay and that though things may change; their family would remain a rock.

Blaine turned back toward his dad, who was looking at his expectantly. "Is there any way I can help?" Blaine asked. "I can always get a part time job or stop using hair product or…"

His dad laughed slightly at his comment about hair gel. "I don't think we need to go to drastic measures just yet," he said. "Right now, we have enough in savings that we will be okay for a little while. If things don't change after a month or two, we'll look into other options. We're definitely going to have to cut our spending some, but we hope that this won't last too long."

Blaine's view shifted again to his shoes, but he quickly looked up when he felt his father's strong hand on his shoulder. "Blaine, this isn't something **you** need to worry about right now. You have a big year ahead of you and your mother and I don't want this to be another thing to add to your list. This won't be easy and I'm thankful that you're willing to pitch in. I think for the time being, your mom and I will work some things out and once we have a better grasp at the job market and what to do for finances, we'll let you know."

Blaine looked at him, slightly unsure. His dad read the look in his eyes immediately. "Blaine, I'm serious. We **will** figure this out – as a family." He paused. "And I can't tell you how glad I am that you're taking this so well."

* * *

A tentative smile crept from his lips. He wanted to be strong all the time – his dad was the perfect case of what it's like to be a strong man and he wanted to make his dad proud. With Kurt's arm around his shoulders, he leaned back into his arm a little bit more and sighed.

"It will be okay, Kurt. We're a strong family. It's just going to be a little rough for the time being," he said as Kurt lightly brushed his shoulder.

Kurt rested his chin on Blaine's head. "Okay. Know that I'm here for you and your family. I know I don't live here and I'm not well connected, but if there's any way I can help, please tell me. Or have your parents tell me. Or my dad."

Blaine shifted forward and turned to Kurt who was smiling with a look of concern on his face. "Thanks, Kurt," he said before reaching out to him for a hug.

They pulled away from each other and just sat next to each other, fingers laced together, looking out into the Lima sky. Blaine smiled, happy that although the evening had been stressful this quiet moment with Kurt would take the edge off. With his family and Kurt by his side, there wasn't anything they couldn't face.

_It really will be okay. _


	26. Lean On Me

Half an hour passed and the light chill soon turned to bitter cold as Kurt and Blaine stayed outside, savoring the silence together. When he could feel Kurt shivering next to him, Blaine took his hand and led them both inside. They continued in silence as they walked upstairs to Blaine's room and the guest room.

Blaine turned to Kurt as they stood outside his bedroom and pulled him in for a tight hug. They stood there for a moment swaying together, letting the force of their arms comfort them. Kurt lightened his grip and slowly pulled away still holding Blaine's hand.

"I'm going to get ready for bed, if that's okay," Kurt said, finally breaking their silence.

Blaine nodded. "Of course. Whenever you're ready, why don't you come in my room so I can say goodnight properly?"

Kurt grinned. "Okay," he said softly before padding down the hall and shutting the guest bedroom door behind him.

Blaine closed his bedroom door behind him and fell face down into the bed. He was exhausted. He hadn't even been awake for 12 hours but it felt like he'd been awake for 72 with the amount of things they had crammed into one day. He was appreciative of his time at the Hummel's and was even, oddly, grateful for the conversation he had with Kurt just a few moments before. But he was tired and the realization that Kurt would be leaving early Monday morning finally crossed his mind. He just had so many things going on, he wondered how his mind would be able to contain all of his thoughts all at once.

He wished his dad hadn't lost his job. He wished he and Kurt lived closer. He wished he knew what he was going to do after graduation. He wished Cooper was here. He wished he could talk to someone who could understand his family's position….

Sam.

Blaine fumbled for his phone in his pocket. He knew that Kurt would always be supportive and his rock, but Kurt's family hadn't dealt with someone losing their job like Sam had. Sam's family had already dealt with this. Though he realized that where his family was at financially didn't really match with what the Evans family had gone through, he knew that Sam would be able to understand what was going on in Blaine's head.

He dialed Sam's number and waited three rings before Sam picked up.

"What's up, B?"

"Hey Sam. I – uh - need to ask your advice on something."

Sam laughed hesitantly. "I hope it's not problems with Kurt. I don't really know how to handle that."

Blaine laughed slightly, thankful that his friend was easing the tension without even realizing it. "No, it's not that." He sighed. "My dad told me he lost his job."

Sam's voice went from jovial to concerned. "Oh. Blaine, I'm sorry. That's rough."

"Yeah. We just talked about it and things seem like they'll be okay, but I'm just worried. Kurt is being supportive as always, but I don't think he really gets what's going on, you know?"

"Totally. It's hard for anyone to really get what's going on in your head until they experience it first-hand. When my dad lost his job, Glee club was supportive and everything, but I felt like they were just pitying me."

Blaine nodded, afraid for the same fate. He hated to rely on other people and he especially hated when they pitied him.

"Look, Blaine. Kurt was one of the most helpful people for me when I was going through this. Know that Kurt has your back," he asserted. "I'm sure that you're willing to help wherever you can, but this is something that your parents have to figure out and you just have to support them when you can. Yes, it's rough, but my family turned things around – I'm sure yours will too."

Blaine sighed, relieved. He knew that things would be okay; he just needed someone to affirm that for him from time to time. "Thanks, Sam. I know things aren't quite the same as when your dad lost his job, but thanks for talking me down. And please, don't tell anyone. I mean, you can tell Kurt since he knows already, but I don't want the Glee club to look at me like I'm some type of project they can fix."

Sam laughed. "No two situations are the same, but it all just sucks. But I know what it's like to want to keep this under wraps, dude. I won't say anything. But don't keep it in the way I did. People get suspicious and the conclusions they come to tend to be worse than anything you could ever say about your position."

Blaine chuckled as he remembered the accusations Rachel had thrown at Kurt about he and Sam being together when he and Blaine had first gotten together while Kurt was really helping the Evans family in secret. _Oh Rachel_, he thought.

He heard a light knock on the door that signaled that Kurt was ready to say goodnight. "Hey Sam, I gotta go. But, thanks. Seriously."

"No problem, Blaine. Keep me posted about this, okay? I don't want you bottling this in. It's not a good idea and I know from experience."

"You've got it. Bye, Sam."

As he ended the call, he rushed to the door to open it to find his mom. "Oh, hi mom," he said, slightly surprised that it was her rather than his boyfriend.

"Hi honey," she said, a faint smile in her eyes. "You okay? I know this is new for us and it can be a lot to handle, but I want to make sure you heard what your father had to say. We **will** work this out as a family."

Blaine noticed that she was emphasizing that they'd work it out – together. His family's close bond was something he was grateful for and during hard times like these it only made them a stronger unit. After watching how the Hummel-Hudsons had dealt with the many things thrown at them while still remaining close, Blaine was happy that he had a family that was equally as wonderful.

He smiled slightly. "I know, mom. Just please keep me posted about stuff with the job search. You know I worry too much, so being vague on your end will only mean agony for me," Blaine stated.

She nodded. "We'll do our best." She wrapped her arms around him and Blaine latched on to her deep hug. His mom gave the best hugs. "I love you, son," she whispered into his shoulder.

"I love you too, mom."

"Ahem." Blaine looked to the right and saw Kurt standing there, smiling at him and his mom. "May I join in on this hug?"

Blaine's mom smiled widely, reaching out one of her arms to include Kurt in the circle. "Of course!" Blaine felt the weight of Kurt's arm around his waist, pulling him slightly closer throughout their hug.

As his mom backed away, Kurt kept his arm at Blaine's waist and Blaine looked at him and giggled. It was the first time in an a few hours that he had laughed and he was so glad that Kurt was the one to make him feel happy again. Kurt looked back at him, smiling and scrunching his nose slightly as he looked into his boyfriend's eyes. They were lost in each other for a moment, but both turned away from each other when they heard his mom sighing.

"You two lovebirds…" she said, shaking her head and she walked away.


	27. Plans

After they said their good nights, Kurt gave Blaine a light kiss on the lips before heading to his room. Normally he would wait awhile before joining Blaine in bed, but he felt that tonight Blaine probably needed his space to process what happened that day.

_He's probably a wreck_, Kurt thought.

As he pulled the covers up over his chest, he lay back and stared at the ceiling as the overhead fan twirled quietly overhead. He was lost in thought wondering how he could help Blaine and the Andersons. This was such an adult problem, he felt like his nearly 19 years on this earth hadn't prepared him for something so earth shattering. His mind wandered thinking of what would happen if his dad couldn't find a job. He knew that if he was thinking about all of these things, it had to be ten times worse for Blaine.

He hated the idea that Blaine had to deal with this potentially drastic change without him being there. The fact that he'd have to support Blaine through the phone or on Skype while his father was searching for work hurt him. He felt unsure about how he'd be able to help by being hours away and it ate him up.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, he heard a slight creak and glanced over at the door. It had been cracked and he saw Blaine's sleepy eyes peering through. "Kurt, are you asleep?"

Kurt sighed. "No, come on in."

Kurt watched as Blaine practically dragged himself at a snail's pace over to the bed before carefully lifting the covers and joining him. It was dark but he could tell that Blaine had worry written across his face. As he felt Blaine nuzzle into his chest, Kurt put a protective arm around his shoulder before kissing his hair. The kiss forced a contented sigh from Blaine and Kurt pushed his chest further into Blaine's back, hoping that their touch would comfort them both enough to sleep.

"Kurt, I-" he stopped as if he couldn't make himself go through with what he was saying. Kurt continued to kiss his hair and reached around Blaine's waist to pull him in even closer. "Kurt, I don't know what to do," Blaine said before turning to face Kurt. He could see the outline of Blaine's face as he replied, "I don't know either. And I'm sorry. I wish I knew what to say or do, but I don't."

Though he couldn't truly see Blaine's face, he felt that his words had not helped ease his mind. "What I do know is that your family will be okay. You guys are such an amazing family and the fact that your family is going to work this out together is fantastic." He almost could sense Blaine smiling as he continued, "And you don't have to know what to do. But know that I'm here for you. I love you and I love your family. You will get through this, Blaine."

That seemed to please Blaine enough as Blaine lengthened his neck to reach Kurt's lips for a delicate kiss. As their lips parted, they kept their noses touching and Kurt could get a hazy glimpse of Blaine's eyes. They still looked worried, but the smile on his face seemed thankful for the support. "Thanks for being here. Thanks for being with me, Kurt," Blaine said, giving Kurt goose bumps. Even after all this time and all of these difficult moments for them, Blaine still had that effect on him.

Blaine flipped over again with his back facing Kurt and Kurt positioned himself to hold Blaine's waist and placed his nose at the nape of Blaine's neck. He kissed it lightly as he pulled Blaine in, hoping to push out any doubt, sadness, or worry with each millimeter they closed between them.

He heard Blaine's breathing slow as he went into a deeper sleep, which got Kurt's mind racing. He might not be able to help Blaine as much once he went back to New York, but he could be sure that every moment of their time together now would be precious and used to its fullest.

Holding Blaine as he slept soundly, Kurt stayed awake with his thoughts most of the night - planning what he hoped to be the best day ever for Blaine.


	28. Surprise!

He slowly creaked his eyes open and realized he felt cold. As he looked around the guest room, Blaine realized that the reason for his chill was the fact that Kurt wasn't snuggled against his back. The light had barely crept through the blinds, but Blaine could tell it was definitely too early for him to be awake on a Sunday. Glancing over at the clock, his suspicions were confirmed.

_8:03 A.M._

He grunted as he rolled back over shutting his eyes tightly. After five minutes, he realized that it was pointless to try to keep sleeping since he was curious where Kurt had gone and was eager to see his boyfriend's face as often as possible before he went back to New York.

He went to the bathroom to brush his teeth – he didn't want to Kurt to experience his morning breath – only to be encountered with a note on the mirror.

_I left you some breakfast in the microwave. I have to do something this morning, but I'll be back before you know it. _

_X, Kurt_

Reading the note as his toothbrush danced across his teeth, Blaine looked confused. What could Kurt possibly have to do this morning? He had already seen his dad and Carole; errands wouldn't be necessary since he didn't live there anymore… he was deep in thought when he realized the toothpaste had started oozing out of his mouth and had formed a puddle on his shirt. He spit out the rest of the toothpaste and soon settled in front of his closet trying to figure out what to wear. After deciding on a pair of cuffed red chinos, a black v-neck sweater and a pair of black loafers, he headed downstairs letting the rumble in his stomach lead him to the microwave where he hoped to find his breakfast.

Popping the microwave open, he was encountered with a plate full of his favorite pancakes that had been specially topped with a smiley face made out of banana slices and two strips of bacon. This made Blaine chuckle; when he was a kid, his mom used to prepare his breakfast that way on the first day of school each year. It was a tradition that had been forgotten once Blaine had entered middle school, but he was thankful in that moment that he'd explained to Kurt how much he loved those special breakfast smiley faces.

Plopping down at the table, he found a bottle of syrup and place settings already waiting for him along with a small folded up card where the plate would normally be placed. Putting his plate down, he opened the note and read.

_I hope the smile on your pancakes is as large as the smile on your face. _

_X, Kurt_

If he wasn't beaming before, he was now. After getting a few bites into his breakfast, he realized his cheeks had started hurting from smiling so hard as he ate. _Kurt is such a sweetheart_, he thought to himself as he shoveled a syrup-soaked bite into his mouth.

As he was putting his dishes in the dishwasher, he heard the front door open and Kurt's voice filled the front foyer.

"Blaine!' he shouted.

Blaine peeked out from behind the wall to see Kurt staring expectantly up the stairs, thinking Blaine was still fast asleep in the guest room. Just as Kurt was about to ascend the staircase, Blaine called out, "I'm right here," as he reached out for Kurt's hand.

"Thank you for my amazing breakfast," he said, placing a kiss on Kurt's cheek.

"Of course. I'm glad I could get your morning off to a good start," Kurt said. Blaine leaned in for a second kiss before Kurt stopped him. "But if you lay another syrupy kiss on my face, you will not hear the end of it. That can't be good for my skin to have sugar slathered all over it," he said, lightly pushing Blaine's chest away from him.

Blaine chuckled and turned Kurt's face and smacked his lips against Kurt's. Pushing back, Kurt licked his lips, tasting the syrup that Blaine had transplanted onto his lips. Kurt looked at him as if to say _"seriously?"_ and Blaine laughed even harder.

"I didn't think you'd mind my cleaning methods," he said with a wink.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm glad you're done with breakfast and ready to go. I have a lot planned for our last full day together," he said with a smile. Blaine looked a little sad, but Kurt nudged his chin to meet his gaze. "I know it sucks that I'm leaving tomorrow. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy today, right?"

Blaine sighed. These goodbyes were never easy. He just couldn't wait until he and Kurt were in the same place and at least living in the same city. He quickly returned to his previously giddy state and looked expectantly at Kurt. "So, what **are** we going to do today?"

Kurt didn't say anything as he tugged Blaine's hand and led them out to his car out front.

* * *

"This blindfold seems completely unnecessary," Blaine said as he adjusted the sleep mask's elastic behind his ears. As soon as he approached the car, Kurt had given him his sleep mask and forbade him from removing it until Kurt said so. He was suspicious, but was put at ease as soon as he put it on and realized it was soaked in Kurt's scent. That part he certainly didn't mind.

"Well, I can't wear it. It's pretty dangerous to drive with a blindfold on," Kurt said, laughing.

Blaine crossed his arms and pouted from the passenger seat. It was all a rouse since he loved surprises, but he certainly couldn't let Kurt win this 'argument.'

"Oh, Blaine. Don't be like that. I can practically sense those pouty eyes of yours behind that mask. You'll be fine. Just trust me."

Blaine exaggerated as he sighed. "I suppose I trust you…"

* * *

They sat in comfortable silence during their drive until the car stopped and Blaine heard the familiar click of the car shifting into park.

"We're here!" Kurt exclaimed. Blaine reached to remove the sleep mask but soon felt Kurt's light touch on his hand. "No sir. I said we were here, I didn't say you could take off the mask."

Blaine sat there, feeling a little helpless but full of anticipation. "Well you'll need to escort me out of this car. Unless part of this day means you taking me to the ER with a concussion from running into something."

Blaine heard the door slam and Kurt's laugh as he slowly rounded the car and opened Blaine's door. Blaine reached out blindly, encountering Kurt's fingers as he pulled himself up from the car.

"Do you have any idea where we are?" Kurt asked.

Blaine could figure out where they were for the first few minutes of their journey since he had memorized the drive out of their neighborhood years ago. But after a few more minutes, he started to become confused and lost track of where they were. It was as if Kurt was trying to throw him off on purpose.

"I can say with confidence that I have no idea where we are," Blaine confirmed.

Blaine felt a gust of wind at his back and the light smell of something he couldn't quite place. He could hear the rustle of something moving in the distance and the low hum of voices nearby. As he took each step, the softness that encountered his sole was obviously not a sidewalk or parking lot and the crunch he heard sounded like dried out grass. His hand was still clutching Kurt's but he soon moved his other hand forward, hoping to encounter something that could help him place where he was.

He heard Kurt laughing. "That's not going to help out here," he said. Blaine's face distorted to convey his confusion as he rested his hand at his side. "Don't worry, only a few more feet," Kurt said as he guided Blaine further.

They stopped walking a few feet later. Kurt dropped Blaine's hand and moved to somewhere Blaine couldn't sense. He felt oddly alone standing in the middle of God-knows-where with a blindfold on. He heard the faint sound of a camera click in front of him and he instantly stiffened.

_Dear God, where are we?,_ he thought to himself. _And why is there a camera here?_

"Okay, you can open your eyes!" he heard Kurt exclaim a few feet in front of him. Blaine hesitantly lifted the blindfold from his eyes; still keeping his eyes closed, as he was leery of what he would encounter.

As he lightly nudged his eyes open, he saw the flash of a camera and the click of the shutter. He stood there in awe.

"Kurt!"

* * *

_A/N" How about that cliffhanger? Where could they be? Where do you think they are?_

_Another chapter tomorrow!_

_Also, who is NOT ready for tonight's episode? I know The Break Up is going to break my heart. Hang strong fellow Klainers!_


	29. Sweetness

Kurt let go of Blaine's hand and left him standing there for just a moment as he quickly ran back to the car to grab his camera out of the backseat. He and Blaine had tons of photos of them together, their memories and special moments preserved for all time. He knew that he would want Blaine to look back on today and remember how much fun they were going to have during times when things were tough with his family, when they would fight, when he was feeling lonely. He wanted Blaine to remember them, their love, and their joy when they were together.

Turning back towards Blaine, he snapped a photo of Blaine standing in the middle of the grassy parking lot and saw Blaine immediately get nervous.

_He sure does hate having his photo taken sometimes_, he laughed to himself. He positioned his camera perfectly on Blaine's face to ensure that he would capture the perfect shot of when Blaine opened his eyes and saw where they were.

"Okay, you can open your eyes!" Kurt practically screamed from behind the lens. He chuckled when Blaine was obviously hesitant to open his eyes. Kurt had done a good job at providing him no clues as to where they were. In the short amount of time from last night to this morning, everything seemed to fall perfectly into place.

Blaine's eyes creaked open and Kurt's finger pulsed the button feverishly, capturing each moment. Once Blaine's eyes were fully open, Kurt got the image he wanted – Blaine's child-like smile with eyes full of wonder. Immediately after, Kurt captured the second photo he wanted – the one of Blaine looking at Kurt with loving eyes and a heart-warming smile.

_Yup, I've still got it_, Kurt thought as he mentally patted himself on his back.

"Kurt!" Blaine exclaimed, and swiftly reached out to hug Kurt. "How did you know that I've always wanted to come here!?"

Kurt turned around to face the sign Blaine was just looking at.

_Suter's Produce & Corn Maze _

"Honestly, I had no idea that you always wanted to come here. But you have the heart of a child, so I figured you'd like to do the corn maze. Plus, they have other fun things to do like shoot apples out of a mini-canon and tractor rides." He paused, trying not to make Blaine feel overwhelmed. "I know it's not a super romantic day, but –"

Kurt was immediately cut of with Blaine's lips pushing against his own in a thankful kiss. As Blaine pulled away, Kurt was enchanted by the huge grin on his boyfriend's face. He had definitely made the right choice that day.

"Thank you," he said, looking Kurt directly in the eyes. "It's perfect. And it's something that doesn't happen year round, so it feels extra special. Plus, who doesn't love apple picking and cider samplings?"

He laughed. He was so glad to see that Blaine's wide smile had replaced the worried looks from last night. He continued to smile as he gazed into Blaine's eyes as his boyfriend reached his hand out, hoping to intertwine his fingers with Kurt's.

"Shall we go?" Blaine asked.

"Yes, sir!" Kurt insisted as he took Blaine's hand and headed toward the entrance.

* * *

Kurt had spent the morning calling ahead to the orchard to see if he and Blaine could have time together before it opened to the public at one. The owner agreed since his crew needed to spend the morning prepping a small kid's area that they were planning in preparation for the Halloween crowds. Kurt ensured that he and his boyfriend would be on their best behavior and promised to purchase at least two bushels of apples and a jug of cider to bring back to Lima. The owner didn't seem to even flinch at the mention of his boyfriend and was thankful that he would at least have one buyer at the orchard that day.

Keeping his word, Kurt entered the orchard's shop and selected three bushels of apples, some for baking and others for eating. He knew that although he didn't live at home and wouldn't personally be using the apples, between Carole and Mrs. A, they would definitely be utilized properly. After trying out a few samples of cider, Kurt and Blaine decided on a cinnamony cider and asked the cashier to hold their goods while they roamed the corn maze. The woman smiled at them warmly, something they didn't expect from rural Ohio, and sent them on their way with a map detailing the expansive corn maze.

They walked away from the shop and headed toward the entrance, practically skipping hand in hand as Blaine's smile grew with each step. As Kurt inspected the map, he was thankful he knew of their plan and decided to dress down - well, dressed down for him – going for comfort as opposed to his normally fitted attire.

Though the air was crisp with a slight chill, the sun was out and the sky was clear so they wouldn't need to wear coats. Kurt was thankful for the slightly cool air because it meant if he or Blaine did get cold, they'd have to huddle together for warmth with no jackets gracing their shoulders.

Kurt looked at Blaine who was about a half step ahead of him, taking in the sights and smells of the orchard as the rustle of the corn in the maze behind them provided a unique soundtrack to the day. Blaine couldn't stop smiling and neither could Kurt.

* * *

"I think we're lost," Kurt said, flipping the map nearly three times trying to navigate where they were. Each cross-section had a marker indicating where they were on the maze, but the one they'd found was slightly faded and they couldn't distinguish where they were based on the map in his hands.

Blaine laughed. "I'm sure if we're out here long enough, someone will find us. Do you happen to have a emergency flare in your boots or something?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "As if I could fit anything aside from these jeans into these boots. The fit has to be tight in order for them not to completely ruin their shape."

Blaine grinned back at him and pulled him in for a hug. Kurt situated his hands around Blaine's neck as he felt Blaine's hands nestle around his waist. "I don't care if we get lost back here. I'm having a great time just being here with you," he said as Kurt gazed back into Blaine's honey-hazel eyes.

Kurt was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt Blaine's warm lips lightly kissing his cheeks and working their way down his jaw. Kurt leaned his head away from Blaine's lips to make sure that no crevasse was left unkissed as Blaine's lips settled on a soft patch on Kurt's neck as he hummed into his skin, giving Kurt goose bumps. He instinctively wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist and pulled him slightly closer as Blaine's lips continued to pulse around his neck to his collarbone and to the other side of his neck, ensuring a kiss on each inch of Kurt's skin.

There was nothing overly sexual about these kisses, but it was the love and adoration behind each peck that made Kurt's insides squeal with delight. Blaine placed one last kiss on his neck and pulled away, quickly wrapping his arms around Kurt's neck and started rubbing lightly at his shoulders.

"You're really great, you know that?" Blaine asked.

He grinned. "I guess I'm alright."

Kurt leaned in for a peck and upon parting from Blaine's lips he said, "let's go see what else there is to do around here. As much fun as kissing in this field has been, I'm pretty sure you want to shoot an apple launcher at an unsuspecting scarecrow."

Blaine practically squealed which caused Kurt to laugh heartily. "I love you, you spaz," he said pulling Blaine's hand back the way they'd come from.

* * *

After they had shot apples into a field, rode the tractor around the farm, picked out a pumpkin for Halloween, and filled up an entire memory card full of photos, Kurt decided it was time to go back toward home.

As they walked hand-in-hand toward the car with their apples in tow, Blaine rested his head on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt smiled at him and squeezed his hand.

"Did you have fun, hun?" he asked.

Blaine's eyes met his and he didn't even have to hear Blaine's resounding "yes" to know he had a great time – he could see it in his eyes. The worry that had plagued his eyes earlier that day was replaced with wonder, awe and a glint of childlike joy. Kurt couldn't help but love his boyfriend even more in that moment – realizing that so many small moments like this is exactly what Blaine needed to be happy. It didn't take a romantic gesture; it took caring and love.


	30. Let's Take a Ride

Blaine spent the entire ride from the orchard grinning. Their time at the orchard was just what he needed to zap himself out of his rut and the funk he'd been feeling for weeks. While he was there, it didn't matter that Kurt was far away or that he felt sort of lonely back at McKinley. This outing – actually, this whole weekend – proved that he and Kurt really were going to be okay. As long as they took the time to talk, connect and show each other that they cared, they could last forever.

_Forever_.

When he had told Kurt that he wanted to marry him earlier that weekend, he kind of surprised himself. Sure, he'd thought about the future and he certainly wanted Kurt to be a part of it, but they had never talked about "the m-word" and he certainly hadn't ever spoken those words "I want to marry you" out loud to anyone. He knew in his heart that it was something he wanted, but it wasn't something he had openly admitted until just a few days ago.

But feeling Kurt's hands tenderly linked with his own as they drove in comfortable silence, he knew he'd made the right choice by saying it that day. He never meant it more than he did then, and he was already thinking of their life together before Kurt interrupted his thought.

"I have one more thing for us to do today before we go back to your house," Kurt said.

Blaine groaned playfully, "Do I have to put that mask back on?"

Kurt shook his head.

Blaine smiled and went back to staring out the window as he watched the trees pass by the road, eager to find out where their adventure would take them to next.

* * *

"Kurt, this is the middle of nowhere. Why are we stopped?"

Blaine was perplexed. It felt like they had been driving down a dirt road for the past half an hour, which meant they were really off the beaten path.

Kurt sighed. "Don't you trust me? I promise, this is going to be amazing."

He was right; Kurt had already done such a great job planning their morning that he couldn't possibly go wrong with their plans now.

It was still light out, but the sun's hesitation on the horizon meant that darkness was only an hour or so away. The way the trees had covered the dirt road made it feel as if they were in a long tunnel with the sun and sky obscured from view. Now that they were out in the open, Blaine gasped at the sight before him as he and Kurt walked hand in hand out of the arbor archway into the open field.

It was a giant hot air balloon.

He couldn't help it anymore. Tears pooled in Blaine's eyes and one crept down his face. He looked over at Kurt who was smiling at him, reaching his hand out to catch the tear that had fallen onto Blaine's cheek. As he looked into Kurt's eyes, all he could see was "I love you" emulating each glance. He gave him back a small smile of appreciation as Kurt's fingers delicately touched his cheek.

"Come on, Blaine. We better get up in the air before the sun sets."

Blaine was happy to be tugged along by Kurt. He was still silent, words not able to sprout from his lips since he was still baffled by all of today's events. Kurt approached the man handling the air balloon as Blaine stood back staring at the balloon in front of him.

He couldn't believe that Kurt had done this for him, all of this. What had he done to deserve something – rather, someone – so wonderful? Was this karma's way of giving him goodness in his life after all of the homophobic remarks that dwelled in his past? Was a higher power looking down and smiling on him? Did he just get lucky? It all seemed too good to be true. It was like his life was out of a romance novel, things like this certainly didn't happen to normal people. So why did this happen to him?

"Hey – are you okay?" Kurt said as Blaine felt his boyfriend's hand connecting with his own. Blaine hadn't even noticed that Kurt had come back over to him and was, apparently, talking to him a few moments ago.

More tears welled up in Blaine's eyes. "Why did you do this?"

Kurt looked surprised and kind of hurt by what Blaine said. "Do you not like this? Are you afraid of heights or something? Oh – god – do you have a horrible fear of balloons…"

Blaine cut him off by squeezing his hand. "No. Why did you do this for me? I absolutely love it, but why are you doing this? I'm certainly appreciative, but what's the occasion? It's just…" he sighed, "You are the sweetest, most thoughtful person I've ever met and I don't feel like I deserve it sometimes. These big romantic gestures…"

Kurt's hand on Blaine's face had turned his cheek up to face him, causing Blaine's eyes to be encountered with Kurt's. Kurt just looked at him for a moment before speaking. "There have been times in our relationship where I haven't done enough to support you, like when I was auditioning for NYADA and when I had become consumed with my new job at Vogue. I haven't always been the best in being there for you. This weekend, you've been through a lot. You're really dealing with a lot of things right now, Blaine, and I remember when I was dealing with some of the same. It's rough being a senior in high school. You have so much you have to plan for, so many things to consider and even more decisions to make. And I know that it's hard. And I hate that I'm not here for you when you might need me."

"But you are…" Blaine said, before Kurt pressed his fingers to Blaine's lips in order to silence him.

"I mean physically here. You know I'm always there for you." Blaine sighed, relieved. Kurt continued. "But not being able to hug you when you need it, or rub your back when you're stressed, or kiss you when I want to is hard. I wanted to do these things for you because I wanted to try to show you in one day just how much you mean to me. And how much I want to be there for you. And how much I love you."

It seemed like Blaine couldn't stop crying this afternoon and Kurt's thumb pushed the tears away as he pulled Blaine in for a kiss. It was gentle and light but what the kiss meant had more depth than anyone aside from the two of them could ever know.

Kurt broke their kiss and rested his forehead on Blaine's. "You deserve nothing short of a fairytale romance, Blaine. Let me be your Prince Charming."

Blaine gave a light laugh as he went in to kiss Kurt again. "You can be my Prince Charming. And I'll be your knight in shining armor."

Kurt laughed his time and Blaine beamed at the sound of Kurt's riotous laughter. That would never stop making him smile.

"We are horribly cheesy. Does anyone else talk like this?"

"Definitely not, Prince Charming. We talk as if a bunch of fan girls write our dialogue. But I don't care. I mean every word."


	31. Young Love

_A/N: There's a teeny spoiler in this chapter regarding what part Blaine is playing in McKinley's production of "Grease" (it was alluded to in the promo for the next episode), but it doesn't really impact the story much - just a mention._

* * *

As darkness took over the Lima landscape, Kurt was once again at the helm of Blaine's car headed back to the Anderson's house. Their ride in the hot air balloon had been nothing short of spectacular and though he loved looking at Lima from up above, he loved looking at Blaine's elated face even more. The fact that he had brought on such a beautiful smile to his boyfriend's face made him so happy he wanted to just plant his lips on Blaine's for the entirety of the ride. Thankfully, he had restrained himself since they were in the presence of the balloon handler, but he wasn't afraid to hold Blaine's hand or rub his arm whenever he'd get a peek of Blaine looking back at him.

Thankfully, Kurt remembered an extra memory card for the balloon ride and he had taken some stunning photographs of Lima and, of course, of Blaine. And Blaine acting silly. And Kurt posing with the balloon handler. And he and Blaine, grinning wildly at the camera. And, in one bold take, Blaine had even kissed Kurt on the lips and their third wheel had managed to capture the moment of Kurt's surprise and elation at his boyfriend's lips encountering his own.

But now they were drifting away from Kurt-and-Blaine Land and headed back to reality; a reality that meant Kurt was leaving for New York in the afternoon and Blaine had to go back to being a high school student and wrestling with the emotional crisis that loomed with his family. Kurt tried to push the thought into the depths of his mind, but he knew he'd have to face the fact soon enough.

As Kurt pulled into the driveway, he realized that he and Blaine hadn't talked the entire 20-minute drive from the field. Neither seemed to mind, it was likely that the reality of their impending temporary separation was on the brain for both of them. Grabbing his camera out of the back seat and locking the door, he skipped to meet Blaine and held his hand, still walking silently toward the door. Even though they didn't say a word, they knew what moments like this meant.

_I love you. I'm going to miss you. I can't wait until I see you again. I can't wait to be with you again. _

It had become routine for them. They'd spend their last few hours together just simply enjoying each other's presence, knowing that in the days or weeks to come that their voices would be heard over the phone each day, but their physical presence would be missed. So they focused on their physical closeness rather than the conversations that they could easily share over the phone in the coming days.

Blaine opened the door to his house and the lights were out except for his parents' bedroom upstairs. It was 9:30 and since they both needed to be up early for school and, presumably, job searching, they were nestling into their nighttime routine; leaving Blaine and Kurt to fend for themselves for the rest of the evening.

Kurt's stomach grumbled, causing Blaine to whip his head around in surprise. "Is it possible that you're actually more hungry than me for once?" he joked.

"I can't help it – it's way past my normal dinner time so I'm hungrier than normal."

"I suppose there is a first for everything," Blaine said as he tugged Kurt toward the kitchen. "I'm sure my mom has some of that pasta leftover or at least something that we can eat. There's no sense in trying to cook something for us this late at night. We might cannibalize each other before we have the chance to eat real food."

Kurt laughed. "I'm pretty sure I would never resort to eating you. Even if I was that hungry."

Blaine shrugged. "As I said, there's a first time for everything," he said, placing a light kiss on Kurt's lips.

* * *

Once the leftovers had been ingested and the plates cleared into the dishwasher, it was nearly 10pm and Kurt realized he was tired, but he couldn't part himself from Blaine, who was animatedly telling him about an upcoming Student Government meeting that he was going to lead regarding the upcoming musical. Mr. Schue had decided on Grease and everyone in Glee seemed excited about the choice. Blaine had taken it upon himself to get the student government involved in order to ensure more people to attend the performances. Though Blaine wasn't exceedingly popular at McKinley, his demeanor was very persuasive and he was nothing but charming and cordial with everyone he met. Blaine hoped that his charisma would help get more people to the show as a last "hurrah" for he and the other seniors who were in the show.

"I'm thankful that almost everyone has heard of Grease. West Side Story was great last year, but that movie came out like 50 years ago and it's not exactly the pop classic like Grease," Blaine said as he flailed his hands around to emphasize his point.

"I think it's great that you're cast as Teen Angel. While I think you would make an excellent, very sexy Danny, I think that it's great that you're going to be in the role of the ever-wise 'teen angel,'" Kurt said. "Besides, you were my teen angel," he blurted, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks as he blushed at his comment.

Blaine looked at Kurt and he seemed both proud and touched by what he'd said. Kurt shied away from his gaze, but it didn't last long when Blaine took his face into his hands and kissed him passionately. Kurt's lips fell apart as he tried to mingle his tongue with Blaine's, not caring that they both had just eaten garlicky pasta just a few minutes before. Blaine reciprocated and his tongue caressed against Kurt's, as the minutes seemed to turn into hours with their lips and tongues attached.

Kurt pulled back for a minute to catch his breath and looked at the clock. "Blaine, it's almost 11! We've been making out in your kitchen for like half an hour!"

Blaine laughed, his eyes still closed from their make out session. "I'm certainly not complaining," he said as his eyes finally opened. Kurt turned his attention back to the clock, but soon felt his arm pulling and Blaine looked at him coyly. "Let's get ready for bed, then." Blaine let go of Kurt's hand once they were both standing and sashayed away from Kurt, shaking his butt a little more than he normally would if he was walking normally. Kurt couldn't help but stare.

_God, my boyfriend is such a tease. And so hot_, he thought to himself.

Kurt continued to make his way up toward Blaine's bedroom, finding pieces of Blaine's clothing leading the path to his room; first his shoes, then his shirt, then his pants. Kurt picked up each piece as he walked up, knowing that they couldn't leave these things in plain view for Blaine's parents to find in the morning. Each article of clothing that he picked up only made him move faster, his desire for Blaine amplifying with each step. Once he found Blaine's boxer briefs outside of his door, Kurt stood there dumbfounded before pushing the door open all the way. There he found Blaine sitting on the bed, his legs positioned perfectly crossed in front of him, denying Kurt a glance at his nakedness.

"What took you so long?" Blaine asked.

Kurt continued to stare, gaping. "Oh Blaine, you will be the end of me," he said as he dropped the clothes on the floor, closed the door, and practically leaped onto his sexy boyfriend.


	32. Come Undone

_A/N: Another rated M chapter._

* * *

Blaine tried to contain his laughter as Kurt stood in his doorway, practically drooling at the sight of Blaine sitting naked on his bed. Blaine had seen someone do this in a movie once and he'd always wanted to try it ever since and tonight was the perfect moment. He knew he would spend his last night with Kurt, but he really wanted to spend it **with** Kurt; memorizing each touch, each moan, each kiss.

He was surprised when Kurt flung himself at him, barely remembering to close the door behind him as his body was thrown back on the bed due to Kurt's weight on his own. With his boyfriend on top of him, he laughed as he felt Kurt's sloppy kisses being placed on his cheeks and neck.

"Babe, you gotta slow down. I think you're starting to drool on me," he chuckled.

Kurt pulled back, looking at him incredulously. "Blaine, you honestly can't expect me to withhold myself when I find you naked. On your bed." Kurt eyed him somewhat angrily before continuing, "I blame my actions on you."

Blaine smiled back and placed a soft kiss on Kurt's lips as he moved to pull Kurt's shirt over his head. He pulled his lips back as he carefully pulled the shirt over his boyfriend – trying not to mess up his hair too much – and resumed placing light kisses on Kurt's lips and cheeks.

"I know, I'm hard to resist," Blaine retorted without a trace of humbleness in his voice.

Kurt scoffed but Blaine soon started placing his lips on Kurt's neck and the scoff soon changed to a slight moan. Each kiss brought him closer to the scent of Kurt's cologne mixed with his essence as his breaths beat lightly against his skin. The scent alone was enough to give him goose bumps – _god, Kurt smelled amazing_ – but the slight moans escaping Kurt's lips affected him in a completely different way as he shifted his weight below Kurt's to try and relieve the pressure between his legs as he rubbed against Kurt's jeans.

He placed his hands warmly on Kurt's shoulders, pulling him closer into his kisses as Kurt's hands found their way onto Blaine's exposed hips. Blaine was doing his best to try and draw out the closeness and tender kisses on Kurt's neck, but he was afraid that they were going to turn to lustful nibbles and licks before too long with Kurt's hands being dangerously close to his hardening penis.

After a few more kisses, Kurt's breathing seemed less shallow and rushed and had evened out but the moans were still emitting from his mouth. Blaine gave Kurt one last kiss at the base of his ear, bringing a giggle as his breath tickled Kurt's inner ear. With that, Blaine rolled over on top of Kurt and moved his hands down his boyfriend's chest, his feather-light touch coming off as caring and loving rather than passionate and hot.

His eyes followed his hand down Kurt's chest, but he was brought back to Kurt's gaze when Kurt squealed as Blaine's fingers encountered his ticklish spot just above his hipbone. Looking into Kurt's eyes, he realized that the look that reflected into his own eyes was completely different than the way they'd looked earlier this weekend when they practically tore each other's clothes off once they were alone in the house. This time, their looks were more loving and intentional – almost like the first time they'd had sex. They were worshiping each other with their loving stares, light touches and simple kisses.

"What are you thinking about?" Kurt asked. Blaine realized he'd been smiling like an idiot at Kurt for what probably felt like minutes as his hands still graced Kurt's chest and stomach.

"I just… I love you so much. I want this – tonight – to be about you. And me showing you how much I love you," Blaine replied, whispering. "There are so many different types of sex, but I want you to know that tonight's is about love and adoration. I can usually convey my feelings through songs. But tonight, I want it to **show** you through my actions."

Blaine brought his free hand up and grazed Kurt's cheek. Kurt's weight shifted below him as he brought his hands up to Blaine's face and pulled him towards his own. Blaine gave in and leaned into Kurt's pull and his boyfriend's lips pressed against his own. Kurt was putting more pressure in their kiss than Blaine had, but the kiss didn't feel overly needy. It was as if it was Kurt's way of telling Blaine "I'm listening, show me how you feel."

With that nonverbal sign, Blaine let his tongue slip into Kurt's mouth as they pulled away to gasp for air. He was intentionally slow in moving his tongue, not wanting things to progress so quickly or get out of hand too fast. No, he was going to take this slow.

As he concentrated on Kurt's mouth, he let his hand move towards the zipper on Kurt's pants. He may want to move things slow, but he can only withhold himself for so long. Besides, he was sure Kurt would be relieved once his cock was freed from its denim prison. He easy undid the button and soon started to focus on the zipper when he felt Kurt's tongue pick up pressure in his mouth. Wanting to keep the pace to his liking, he quickly pulled his tongue from Kurt's mouth and moved instead to place closed-mouth kisses on his lips. Kurt groaned beneath him and Blaine chuckled a little bit as his lips moved along Kurt's cheekbones.

"I know you want to show me you love me, but there's only so much I can take while you're laying here naked and I'm still wearing most of my clothes."

Blaine pulled off Kurt, gesturing for him to remove his own pants at whatever pace he pleased. As Kurt's pants shimmied their way off his legs, he tried to think of things like women giving birth or dead kittens to calm himself as more of Kurt's body emerged from beneath his well-fitting clothes. Kurt rarely wore shorts, so whenever Blaine got a look at Kurt's long, nimble legs, he felt himself turning into jelly.

Once Kurt seemed satisfied to be in his boxer briefs, he lay back down and took Blaine's hand and placed it on his face. The look in Kurt's eyes was pleading but not overzealous; he knew exactly what Blaine was trying to do and though he certainly wanted to feel himself coming against Blaine, he wanted to give his boyfriend a chance to "speak" with his actions. Blaine grinned and placed a hard kiss on Kurt's lips. Kurt's lips turned into a slight smile as he pushed back against his boyfriend's pressure.

Blaine shifted his weight to the side so he was lying slightly on top of Kurt with their chests pressing together, but his hand had made its way down to Kurt's boxer briefs. Kurt moved slightly in order to give Blaine better access, but Blaine responded by pushing Kurt's hips back against the bed, motioning him to stay still. Another frustrated moan escaped Kurt's mouth and Blaine pulled away, moving his kisses down Kurt's chin onto his neck and chest.

Blaine's hands traced along Kurt's ribs, his touch a little firmer this time so he wouldn't tickle him. His dried lips were making their way down Kurt's chest, inhaling more of Kurt's scent as he moved toward the waistband of Kurt's underwear. He turned his head toward Kurt who was laying back, eyes closed and a slight smile on his face. He was happy, all because of Blaine. All because of what Blaine was doing.

And that was enough to move things a _little_ quicker.

Blaine moved off of Kurt's chest and placed him self to straddle Kurt, his hands still firmly placed at his boyfriend's sides. The shift made Kurt gasp and Blaine smiled coyly as he scooted further down Kurt's body to let his hands find their way onto the navy boxer briefs below him. Instead of dipping below the band, he simple massaged Kurt's hipbone and dusted his fingers on top of the fabric that trapped Kurt's bulging erection. Then he started massaging Kurt's outer thighs as he sat on Kurt's legs – trapping him in place so he couldn't move Blaine's hands any quicker.

He was intentionally avoiding contact with Kurt's penis, causing Kurt's smile to skew into a pained grimace as he was clearly trying to think of anything but the fact that Blaine's hands were so close to the part in question.

Soon he let his hands go beneath Kurt's boxers as he slowly slid them off his legs, causing Kurt to gasp at the relief as his erection sprung free. Blaine looked up at Kurt who was smiling at him with stars in his eyes, not sure exactly where Blaine was going with his actions, but assured in the fact that he would love every second of it.

He gingerly kissed the insides of Kurt's legs and moved up so that his face was nestled just beside his boyfriend's length. In one swift movement, Blaine breathed in and took Kurt into his mouth, causing a loud moan. He felt accomplished as he moved his tongue up and down his boyfriend as Kurt could hardly contain himself above him. Blaine moved slowly, not wanting to rush things too much, as he placed his hands on Kurt's hips – massaging them as Kurt writhed beneath his firm grasp.

With Kurt's eyes fluttering to the back of his head, Blaine started to pick up the pace – eager to please his boyfriend and not expect anything in return. This was about Kurt. Blaine would be happy to suffer for a while if it meant that Kurt would feel total bliss. He ignored the blood rushing to his dick as Kurt moaned above him, Blaine expertly twisting his tongue around the head and rubbing lightly against the spot Blaine had found Kurt to be the most sensitive.

"O-oh… god… Blaine," Kurt said, trying to muffle the noises coming from his mouth with his arm. "I-I… uh…"

Kurt's incoherent moans made Blaine work even faster, realizing that his boyfriend was on the edge. He moved his hands from Kurt's hips and started to lightly massage his balls – feeling them tense slightly as he forced Kurt's length to the back of his mouth and hummed. The vibration of his throat mixed with the way his hands worked sent Kurt over the edge, causing Kurt's breath to hitch as Blaine kept his mouth over his boyfriend to allow him to ride out his pleasure.

Blaine lightly pulled off trying to avoid the sensitive head and made his way up to Kurt's side, his boyfriend's blueish gray eyes clenched tight as he fought to even out his breathing. Blaine smiled, knowing that he had done something wonderful for his boyfriend, and kissed him on the cheek. Kurt smiled sleepily and rolled over to wrap his arms around Blaine. As he squeezed, Blaine's still hard member brushed against Kurt, who gasped and flicked his eyes open.

"Oh, Blaine, uh – please…" Kurt said hastily, moving his hand towards Blaine's stiff penis.

Blaine shook his head. "Nope. I'll be okay. I told you, this is about **you**. I can take care of myself in a minute."

Kurt looked at him puzzled. "I think you're the only nearly-18-year-old guy who would turn down the possibility of some form of sex."

He laughed, "Well, we both know I'm not like most 18-year-old guys. I know it seems weird that I would deny myself the… well, pleasure… of you helping me out, but you've done such wonderful things for me today, I just wanted to return the favor."

Kurt smiled. "If you insist. I think you're crazy since you know it's also my pleasure to 'help you out,' but I'm also too sleepy to argue with you at this point."

Blaine sat up and gathered Kurt's discarded underwear and threw them to his boyfriend. As Kurt slipped them on, Blaine headed toward the bathroom to relieve his "problem" and found Kurt's pajamas lying on the dresser. Motioning toward them, Blaine asked, "You want these?"

Kurt shook his head feverishly. "I'm good. I think I'll just sleep in these tonight. Is that okay with you?" Kurt asked coyly, suggestion dripping from his words. Blaine moaned at the thought of Kurt wearing practically nothing when they'd sleep together that night, causing Kurt to laugh.

"The things you do to me, Kurt," he said as he glanced at Kurt's pure, exposed skin right before clicking the door closed and practically attacking his hardness with his hand.

* * *

It didn't take long for Blaine to find relief, barely needed to touch himself before he exploded as he thought of Kurt's face as he fell apart in Blaine's mouth just a few minutes before. He took awhile to shower and brush his teeth - hoping Kurt wouldn't mind that he used his toothbrush - before looking around for something to wear. Realizing he left his clothes in his own room, he wrapped a towel around his waist and emerged from the bathroom. The sight he saw pleased him to no end – Kurt was lying on his side with his bare back exposed to Blaine's side of the bed as if he expected to be the little spoon tonight, all while snoring lightly as sleep took him over. Rather than go to his own room and find his own clothes he took Kurt's pajama pants and slipped them on, thoroughly enjoying the silk against his bare skin beneath, and slid into bed next to his sleeping boyfriend.

As he placed his arm around Kurt's waist Kurt snuggled against his chest, knowing that even in his sleep he wanted to be closer to Blaine. Blaine closed his eyes and enjoyed the pressure of his boyfriend against his chest before slowly joining Kurt in his slumber.


	33. Back to Manhattan

Kurt hated these lonely train rides back to New York.

Waking up next to Blaine was so amazing – made better by the fact that Blaine wore Kurt's pajama pants and no underwear underneath them – but the moment was short-lived when both boys realized that their time together was coming to a quick end.

They readied themselves for their day; Blaine had a quiz in Chemistry so he reviewed his notes as Kurt packed the remainder of his belongings. They moved in relative silence with the exception of a few "can you pass me that?" or "do you remember this covalent bond formula?" Once both were ready, had said goodbye to Blaine's parents, and grabbed bagels from the pantry, they headed off to the train station. Kurt said he could have gotten a ride to the station from someone else since he knew Blaine would want to spend the morning reviewing his notes, but Blaine would hear nothing of it and decided he could take Kurt to his early train and review his notes at The Lima Bean until school started

The ride in the car was also spent in relative silence, the music turned on but barely audible, as they held hands over the center console. Each time they parted, it felt like Kurt's heart was tearing a little more. It was nearly Halloween and they still had a few months left in Blaine's school year before New York became a reality.

As Blaine pulled into the train station, he heard him sigh with sadness as he cut the ignition. "I hate this," he muttered, not wanting to meet Kurt's gaze.

"I know," Kurt said. "I hate it too." He squeezed Blaine's hand hoping Blaine would look at him. Once he did, he was practically heartbroken as he saw the tears quietly spilling from Blaine's eyes. Kurt took his free hand and brushed the tears from Blaine's cheek. The scruff on his cheek scratched lightly against Kurt's hand as he caught each drop that trickled from his honey eyes.

"I don't want you to leave," Blaine whispered, more tears grazing Kurt's fingertips.

He brushed his thumb against Blaine's cheek and smiled slightly, trying to keep his own eyes from spilling over. "I don't want to leave either. This weekend has been fantastic and I know there are so many more to come. I love you. I'll always love you. And each moment we have to spend apart makes me want to make up for it tenfold when we're together."

Blaine smiled at this and took his hand from Kurt's and placed it on his cheek. He smiled at the warmth of his hands on his face as he leaned forward to catch Blaine's lips into his own. He could still taste some of Blaine's tears mixed with the sting of his minty chapstick as he pressed harder, trying to make this kiss take away some of the pain they were both feeling in their chests. Pulling away, he knew that the kiss hadn't worked – that they would both feel only partially complete until they saw each other again – but it certainly helped in this moment.

"I love you so much," Blaine said as he stared into Kurt's now open eyes.

"I know. I love you too."

Their sweet exchange was soon over as Kurt rushed to make the train, not wanting to let go of Blaine until the last minute possible. Each weekend they shared together like this only showed them how much they were meant to be together and how being apart hurt them more than words could express. Now he sat on the train with a magazine in his lap but he hadn't changed the page since he boarded as his mind swirled – lost in thought.

He looked at his watch again and noticed that only 20 minutes had passed since he left the station even though it felt like hours. Kurt's memories flickered through the moments of the weekend and even the few minutes before he boarded the train as he watched the trees pass by the windows as they sped by. He thought about their hot air balloon ride, their dinners together, their more… intimate moments, his conversation with Mrs. A and finally to Blaine's dad. He couldn't believe he managed to think through all of those things in such a short time, but with Blaine, each weekend felt like an eternity and the blink of an eye at the same time so it really wasn't that unusual that so much happened in such a short amount of time.

Kurt realized that in his haste, he'd forgotten to call his dad and say that he was leaving. Burt wouldn't be worried, but he hadn't seen much of his dad that weekend. He wasn't there to see his dad, but he did miss him – a lot. Kurt pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed his father's number off the top of his head. It was the only number he had memorized since he was a child.

Kurt only had to wait one ring before Burt picked up.

"Hey Kurt! I'm guessing you made it on the train."

Kurt blushed. Of course his dad had memorized his itinerary. And realized that Kurt was late in calling him. "Yeah. Sorry I didn't call sooner."

"It's okay, I know how much you hate saying goodbye to Blaine. I wouldn't have wanted you to call me all depressed anyway. You're much less fun that way."

Kurt laughed slightly. "Well, we couldn't have that now, could we?" Kurt paused for a minute, lost in his thoughts again.

"Kurt, is everything okay? Normally you're chatting my ear off about your weekend with Blaine at this point and how much you miss him, but you're quiet. And you're never quiet."

He sighed. "I'm just worried about Blaine, dad. He's lonely in Lima. He misses his friends at Dalton, I can tell. He misses Cooper. And his dad is having some problems."

"What's wrong with his dad? Is he upset with Blaine over your relationship? I thought that he and Blaine had come a long way in their understanding of each other." Kurt could hear the edge in Burt's voice, sounding a little put out by the possibility that Mr. Anderson might not have been as okay with Blaine's sexuality and relationship with Kurt as he said he was.

"No, no. That's not it at all. Mr. A is totally fine with Blaine – and with us. He actually lost his job last week."

"Oh. I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Yeah. And Blaine's worried about it. I know it's an adult situation, but Blaine and his eagerness to help anyone wants to help out somehow but he's just stressing himself out. And his parents aren't exactly hurting for money, but Blaine just wants to help."

Burt laughed. "It's one of the reasons I like him so much."

Kurt smiled. "Me too."

"Well, Kurt, you're right that it's an adult situation that his parents really need to worry about. Back when you were a kid, your mom lost her job around the time you were starting kindergarten. It was hard at the time, but she ended up finding something else a few months later. Before she…" Burt didn't need to finish. Kurt knew where the story was going. "Anyway, I can certainly see if I have any connections that I can connect him with. Being a congressman has to come in handy some time, right?"

"Dad, you don't have to…"

Burt interrupted. "I know I don't have to. But Dennis is a great guy so I want to help him. I would if it was any one of my friends – whether or not he happens to be the father of my kid's boyfriend."

Kurt smiled. "Have I mentioned how you're the best dad ever?"

"I do have a mug you made me when you were 7 that tells me that every morning," he said, laughing. Kurt started laughing too, thinking of the mug he painted for his dad that Father's Day. Despite the fact that he spelled "world" wrong and that the word "best" took up half the mug, Burt still insisted on using it regularly at the shop. "Look, I'll give Dennis a call and see how things are. I won't pry or anything, but I do want to help if I can."

"That's great, dad. I'm sure he'd appreciate it."

"Of course. And you just tell Blaine to stop worrying. I know normally he'd be the first to tell you to stop worrying, but I think it might be your turn to remind him."

"This certainly would be a first in our relationship. Although we had another first this weekend…"

Burt interjected, "whoa, whoa. Please don't talk to me about that kind of stuff, Kurt. There are some things I just want to be naïve about."

"Dad! That's not what I meant! Oh my god I'm so embarrassed. No, uh – we went on a hot air balloon ride together."

"Oh thank god. I did not want to hear about…"

"DAD!"

"Okay, okay. So how was this hot air balloon ride?"

* * *

Kurt had rambled on about his perfect day for Blaine and how many photos he'd taken of him and Blaine that day and before he knew it, he was already in Pennsylvania and the conversation had lasted over an hour.

"Whoa, dad. I'm sorry, I've been talking your ear off and I'm sure you need to get to work. Can we Skype sometime this week?"

"I'd love it. And don't apologize for talking to me. I can always make time for you, Kurt. But I better go. Let's plan on Thursday night for Skype time, okay?"

"That sounds great. And thanks dad. For everything."

"Of course. I love you."

"Love you too, dad."

As Kurt ended the call, he smiled to himself. He really did have the world's best dad – and he hoped he would also be a superhero and help the Andersons with their current dilemma.


	34. Thanks for the Memories

_A/N: This story is going to stray from the rest of season 4 (Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc.) and we'll be skipping Gleease except for in mentions. At this point, the story is no longer season 4 canon and is taking on its own plot. Just wanted to let you know in case you were expecting that!_

* * *

"I can't believe it's been four weeks since I've seen Kurt," Blaine sighed, picking at the green beans on his plate.

His family always had family dinner on Tuesday nights since Blaine's dad didn't normally have to cover games on Tuesdays and his mom's classes ended at 3, giving her enough time to prepare dinner. Tonight was different since his dad had a dinner with a potential employer, so it meant Blaine and his mom had some one-on-one time.

"I know, honey. But he'll be here soon, right? Thanksgiving is next week and I know he's coming for a couple days then, right?"

"Yeah. But by that point it will have been almost SIX weeks since I've seen him. And I know that he couldn't come see our performance of Grease and he couldn't make it out for Halloween and I couldn't go up to see him either. I just…" he paused, trying to hold back his emotions. "I just miss him, mom."

She smiled. "He'll be here soon. I know me telling you this won't help, but it's the only reprieve I can provide at this point. I know you won't truly stop moping until he gets here anyway."

Blaine sighed. He knew he had been downright miserable and whiny lately. School had been stressing him out, with Sectionals around the corner in addition to his coursework and his presidential duties. Plus he was still worried about his dad, who hadn't heard much on the job front aside from the interview he had tonight.

His mom pulled him out of his thoughts, changing the subject. "So, what are we going to do next Saturday?"

He was confused. "Next Saturday?"

Blaine's mom stared at him, a little dumbfounded. "November 18th."

_Oh my god_, Blaine thought.

"Blaine, honey, did you forget your own birthday?"

He smiled sheepishly. "No. I mean, sort of. I just wasn't sure what to do since I didn't want you or dad to assume we had to do anything or that you guys would even want to do something. And Kurt and I weren't going to celebrate until he was here for Thanksgiving. So I just didn't think about it."

She rolled her eyes at her son. "Blaine, you're turning 18. It's a big deal. And it's your golden birthday. 18 on the 18th! Besides, you're always worth celebrating honey."

"Mom, you might have a slight bias in the situation, but thanks. Can I have a day to think about it? I don't want to do anything big, but maybe have dinner somewhere with some friends and you and dad? Is that okay?"

"Of course. But please let me know before Thursday so I can give your friends enough notice with their parents."

"I think I can manage that."

Silence graced the table for a few minutes, both Blaine and his mother in their thoughts, before Mr. Anderson came through the garage door exhaling sharply as he dropped his keys on the counter. The noise startled the pair, but before they could react, Mr. Anderson had found his way to his wife and kissed her on the head before moving to Blaine, hand extended toward Blaine's head.

"Dad, if you're planning on touching my hair..."

He laughed. "Me? I would never!" he said before clasping his hand on Blaine's shoulder.

Blaine's mom looked expectantly at his dad. He looked back at her and sighed. "I might as well tell both of you while you're both here, I guess."

He let go of Blaine's shoulder and sat down at the head of the table, resting his arms on the table as he clasped his hands together. Blaine shifted his attention to his dad and his mom took his hands into her own – making Blaine smile at these small ways that they showed the other how much they cared.

"The interview went well. Exceedingly well, actually. They offered me a position," he stated.

Blaine grinned. "That's so great dad…"

"I'm not done, kiddo," he said, without a smile.

Blaine's smile quickly faded. "Okay…"

"It's a smaller station, which I'm perfectly okay with. But if it happened, we'd have to move. To Kansas City."

"KANSAS CITY?!" Blaine shouted.

"Son, calm down."

"Dad! Kansas City is so far from here, from our friends, from our lives here. I just…"

"Look, I know none of us wanted to hear that. And, just so you know, I didn't give them an answer. I wanted to talk about it with my family and they were open to that. But Kansas City has more teams to cover and it'd be a great opportunity…"

"You can't take it," Blaine interrupted, his voice pleading and insisting at the same time.

His parents looked at him, shocked. His statement shocked Blaine as well – he never spoke to his parents like that.

"I realize this is hard for you to hear. We don't want to uproot either, but…" his dad started.

"No! Don't! Don't you understand how I can't leave here? Some of my best friends don't even go to my school, my boyfriend lives hours away, and even my only friends here live 20 minutes away," Blaine yelled, turning red as he fought for air after each word. "But no, that's totally fine, get a new job and move us hundreds of miles away and have me feel even more alone than I do now. Great. Just perfect. And if we're moving I guess there's no point in having a birthday celebration of any kind since these people won't be my friends for long anyway."

He shoved his empty plate forward and stormed away, running up the stairs and slamming his door. He didn't need to slam it as hard as he did, but he did it for effect. Blaine flopped on the bed seething from the conversation with his dad – he was so angry he couldn't even cry at how upset he was.

_How could they do this to me? Why would he take an interview when he knew they'd have to move if he took the job? Are they trying to put him even further away from Kurt?,_ he thought.

At that moment, Blaine's phone started ringing. Without looking at the display, he picked up after the second ring.

"Hi," he said curtly.

"Hey honey! How are you?"

Kurt's voice automatically calmed him slightly.

"I – uh. Look Kurt, now isn't the best time. I just… had a fight with my parents."

Kurt paused for a second. Blaine could practically hear him thinking on the other end. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He sighed. "Yeah, just maybe not right now. I just ran up to my room maybe a minute ago and I'm still pretty pissed, so I'm afraid I'm going to say or do something stupid if I try to tell you about it right now."

Kurt laughed.

"Why are you laughing, Kurt? This isn't funny."

Kurt stopped quickly. "No… Blaine, that's not what I meant."

"I don't see how laughing would be any way to start a dialogue with me right now, Kurt. Just…"

"Blaine! Hold on for one second."

"Don't interrupt me!" Blaine said, raising his voice. He hadn't done that to Kurt before, and especially never over the phone.

Blaine sighed. "I'm so sorry, Kurt. This is exactly why I didn't want to talk about this now. I'm just beyond irritated that I know I need to chill for a minute. You know, think about things for just a second."

"I know, Blaine. The reason I laughed is because you're so much more mature than you think you are. Remember those times before when we'd fight and you'd just say what you thought, storm off, and then realize that you said something hurtful? You realize now that you don't want to do that and it shows growth."

Blaine ran his hands through his hair. "I guess. My maturity with you didn't stop me from doing exactly that with my parents just a few minutes ago."

Kurt paused. "I'm not going to pressure you, but do you want to talk about it? I can bore you and tell you a bit about my day if that will help give you time to process right now and we can discuss whatever is going on in a few minutes. Just let me be there for you."

"It's fine. I can tell you now. Just give me a second to breathe, okay?"

Kurt laughed cautiously. "I don't know why you always insist on running up your stairs. I'm sure that's probably more of the reason why you're feeling winded rather than the argument with your parents."

Blaine managed to chuckle a little through his anger.

"Ha! I knew I could make you laugh."

He smiled. "You always know how to make me laugh. It's one of your better boyfriend qualities, I must say."

"I try, Anderson. You feel ready now?"

He took a deep breath and went into details about the story; about the offer his dad had gotten, about potentially having to relocate to what felt like the middle of nowhere, about how he'd blatantly told his dad not to take it, and how he stormed out.

"And now I'm here, sitting in my room, talking to you."

Kurt was silent. Throughout his story he'd made noises to acknowledge that he was listening but didn't ask a single question, waiting for Blaine to get it all out before he offered any kind of comfort or advice.

"Kurt?"

"Yeah, I'm still here. I'm trying to figure out what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, I guess. I already feel a little better just getting it out there."

"I'm glad that you feel a little better, but you can't end the night with you still mad at your parents. That's not how you should be with them. You love and care about them, and the same for them with you. If you and I were fighting, would we go to bed without speaking?"

Blaine thought back, remembering the only night they went to bed not speaking was the night they had broken up. "Well…"

"I know it's happened once or twice, but how did you feel when we weren't talking?"

"Like hell."

"Know that I felt that way too. And I'm sure your parents would feel horrible if you didn't speak to them as well. Blaine, this is a huge deal and there are so many things to consider here."

"Kurt, please don't tell me you're siding with them - you know I can't-"

Kurt cut him off. "That's not what I'm saying. Trust me, I do not want you to move unless you're moving to New York. But look, you said that your dad wanted to discuss it as a family before he did anything. If you talk to him rationally and just explain how you feel, that's the best you can do. You might not be able to sway him, but I know he really cares about your opinion. It's your life too."

He sighed. How was Kurt always so wise? "I guess you're right. But I'm so pissed. Kansas City? Of all places! It's probably worse than Lima and I didn't know _that_ was even possible."

"Maybe it is the worst, but maybe it isn't. Just talk to your dad. Tell him how you feel. But know that this isn't an easy decision for him. He probably doesn't want to move either and I'm guessing your mom doesn't either. She'd have to leave her students, her studies, the school she's taught at for years… just don't think that this is the end."

Blaine thought for a minute. "But what if it is?"

Kurt sighed. "If it is, then we will have to start taking planes to see each other more often. But it would only be temporary, Blaine. Soon you won't be in Lima or wherever your dad's job takes you. You'll be here, with me. So I think you could manage a few more months in the long run. Right?"

"I don't know. Kurt, it's so lonely here. I feel like I have nothing tying me to anywhere sometimes. And the only reason I still feel any ties to Lima or McKinley is because I think of how much of us is defined by those places. Sometimes it's the only thing that keeps me anchored."

"I understand. But Blaine, soon we'll have the best thing – each other, in the flesh. Trust me, it's hard for me to be here, too. I'm lonely. I miss you all the time. I don't have a ton of friends here and Rachel is flaky sometimes. But what keeps me anchored is_ you_. The thought that you'll be here soon – that someday we'll be here to make new places that will share memories together. So don't dwell on the places that have memories for us – remember each moment that brought us to that place. Like dancing together at prom. You don't have to be in the gym to think about that, right?"

"No - normally I associate the gym with the stench of sweaty socks and Coach Sylvester yelling at me."

"See? Just think of us. Not the space. Just think of me and you, it's what I do. Go ahead and talk to your parents tonight and we can talk more in the morning, okay? It's late and I know you'll need a little while to talk to your folks before you head to bed."

Kurt always knew what to say, it was almost too much sometimes. One minute, he'd be overreacting about some sweater he saw online and the next, he'd have such sage wisdom that it'd blow Blaine away every time. Tears started bubbling from Blaine's eyes. "I swear, I cry more with you than anyone else."

"Thankfully they're almost all happy tears, so I guess I'll let it slide."

"Thanks Kurt. Thank you so much for… well, you."

"Of course, Blaine. I love you, you know."

"I know, I love you too."

"Always and forever?"

"You know it, Mr. Hummel."


	35. So Tired

Kurt hung up the phone and rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted. It was 9:30 in New York and he was already eager to go to bed.

Isabelle had a keen eye for fashion, but had found a lull in her career. Because of this, she was slowly stepping away from her role and pushing people on her team to fill the void and utilize their own talents and skills to better Vogue as a whole. When he took on his role at Vogue, he knew that he wouldn't just be Isabelle's assistant. She was grooming him for something greater – he could tell from the first minute that he met her and she held him in high regard. He was thrilled that someone trusted his opinion and saw his potential, but he realized that sometimes that feeling of competence came at a high price.

The price was sleep.

Kurt was putting in a lot of extra hours to ensure that things ran smoothly and he even took extra time to work on some passion projects that made it into the online publication. He was thrilled for the exposure, but working 12 to 14 hour days for nearly five weeks straight were starting to take their toll. He still managed to look put together each day, but he spoke less – thinking of pithy things to say proved too exhausting most of the time – and he barely got more than 5 hours of sleep a night.

Since he had returned from Lima, Kurt had been in a whirlwind full of fashion shoots, photo spreads, writing copy, and coordinating travel schedules for Isabelle's upcoming trip to Paris. Each experience had been great and he was learning so much from Isabelle and the other people at Vogue, but he recognized that living and working in New York City was so much more exhausting than he expected. And it wasn't just people at Vogue – it was everyone. The few friends he'd made within the industry and a few others he'd met through Rachel or other friends all said the same thing. They worked 10 to 12 hour days and went home beat nearly every weeknight. The work/life balance was something that didn't happen much for 19-year-olds fresh to the Big Apple – living for the weekend took on a new meaning.

Tonight was a rare night where Kurt made it back to his apartment by 8pm. Isabelle had left for a store opening in Chelsea and the rest of the office knew to duck out soon after she left, understanding that if she wasn't there, no one would really miss them. He was so worn out; he didn't even put the Chinese take-out container in the microwave and ate cold fried rice directly from the box. With a giant wooden spoon. He was perfectly happy to mindlessly watch reruns of anything if it meant he could turn his mind to mush and just forget about work for a while. Rachel was still practicing at school, so he wanted to take advantage of the rare quiet lull in his apartment. But even trying to move from the bed to the couch to watch TV felt too labor intensive.

He knew that he was wearing himself out and he hated how it made him almost too tired to talk to Blaine sometimes. Although they would talk every night, they would merely go through what happened that particular day - what songs Blaine practiced in glee, what funny things happened in the office, what offensive outfits they'd seen on people. They rarely had their movie nights over Skype and they certainly never had time to delve into their feelings about things – how Blaine was feeling about his dad's job and how Kurt was feeling overwhelmed at work rarely crossed their lips.

Kurt was glad that Blaine had called him that night to talk about the fight he had with his parents. It made him focus on the fact that although he liked what he did and though his job was important, he really needed to be there for Blaine. His boyfriend was dealing with a lot back home, apparently more so now that he and his family might be moving to Missouri, and he promised himself (and Blaine) that he would support and love him. In Kurt's mind, _that _should be his full-time job.

Their whole fight just a few weeks ago was a direct result of both boys feeling lonely and abandoned – he knew he couldn't continue on that path because it might cause them to break up for good if it ever happened again.

As Kurt lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, he decided to put a plan into action. First of all, he needed to try to establish some type of balance at work and do his best not to spend more than half of his day staring at his computer screen. He didn't want to be the first one there and the last to leave; he needed to make a set schedule and stick to it. He didn't want people to expect that he'd stay in the office from 8am until 10pm every night.

The second part of his plan would be to work out times he would set aside for himself. Whether it is having a movie night with Blaine or giving himself time to read a book, he needed to have time to breathe. It would be a hard promise to keep since his schedule could fluctuate at the drop of a hat, but if he was intentional about his "me time" and shared this personal expectation with Isabelle and even Rachel, he might be able to have a better, less exhausted self in the long run.

But the last step would have to take place next week. For this part of the plan, he needed to do something for Blaine. Kurt smiled as the thoughts ran through his head before submitting to sleep with Blaine's honey eyes in his mind.


	36. Birthday Eve

"Blaine, it's time to wake up," Mrs. Anderson said as she shook her son out of his slumber.

_Ugh_, he thought to himself. _Why does school have to come so early?_

"Mom, do I have to go to school today?"

She laughed lightly. "Blaine, it's a Friday. And more importantly, it's the day before your birthday. Nothing can be bad on Birthday Eve!"

Birthday Eve was a term Blaine came up with when he was a child. He thought the night before your birthday should be just as special as your actual birthday, just like how Christmas Eve felt equally as magical and special as Christmas Day. He was sorely disappointed when he learned that it wasn't actually a holiday, but his parents had instituted some Birthday Eve traditions when he was a kid and some of them stuck – even now when he was turning 18.

"I guess for the sake of Birthday Eve, I should get up."

"That's the spirit. I'll have your breakfast for you downstairs. If you hurry up, I'll be sure to make cake batter pancakes for you tomorrow."

With the promise of his favorite sugary breakfast, Blaine practically leapt out of bed and darted to the shower. While showering, he thought about dressing up for his last day of being 17, but there wasn't really a point. It was just another Friday as far as he was concerned and though it was Birthday Eve, he just wasn't as thrilled about turning 18 as he thought he'd be. He thought he'd feel as if the cosmos were going to instill him with a greater sense of wisdom or he'd feel different somehow, but even the day before his big birthday he felt exactly the same. It was kind of a let down – Cooper had been building up his 18th birthday as if it was a huge deal, but it just didn't feel like it was different than any other birthday. Tomorrow, he'd wake up and technically be a year older. The fact that his age would be 18 was of no importance to him.

Besides, his birthday celebration wasn't going to be a big deal either. After he hung up with Kurt, he apologized to his parents and told them how he felt about the potential move. His dad was receptive to his thoughts and said he'd genuinely take his feelings into account. They ended the night in a group hug and a promise that his birthday festivities would still go on as planned – despite Blaine's outburst regarding his party.

Blaine decided on a small dinner with friends was a good alternative and it wouldn't be too expensive, so he wouldn't feel like he was making his parents spend money on him for something as trivial as his 18th birthday. He initially wanted to have it at their house, but his parents insisted that they go out to dinner, so he chose to invite his friends from New Directions and a few of his lingering Warbler buddies to a Thai restaurant that had just opened in town.

Once Blaine was ready, he grabbed his Birthday Eve bagel (Asiago cheese with chive cream cheese spread), kissed his mom on the cheek, and left for school. As he pulled into McKinley's parking lot, he collected himself for a minute, double-checked his hair in the rear view mirror, grabbed his bag, and headed inside.

When Blaine got to his locker, he saw that it had been decorated with balloons on the outside. It was commonplace at McKinley for people to have their lockers decorated for various occasions – big football games, anniversaries, and birthdays – so Blaine was touched that he was one of "those people" who had a decorated locker too.

"Hey man, happy early birthday!" Sam said as he poked one of the balloons taped to his locker. "Do you feel any different?"

"Nah, not really. I thought I would, you know? Our 18th birthdays are so built up – like they're some big right of passage – but it just kind of feels like any other birthday."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I don't think it'll be a big deal. My birthday isn't until the spring, but I have a feeling it won't be some huge deal either. It's not like we're turning 21 or anything."

He laughed. "I'm not sure my liver is ready to turn 21 yet. I've pretty much sworn off alcohol – it does not have a positive effect on me."

Sam chuckled with acknowledgement. "It's cool, man. Well I gotta head to class. Hope you can actually get to your lock with all these balloons. Whoever decorated it really wanted to do a thorough job with the whole decorating thing."

"Wait, you-" Blaine asked, puzzled. He assumed that Sam had a part in decorating his locker. Then again, it wasn't something most of the guys did. "I bet it was Sugar," he said to himself.

"Bet what was Sugar?" Blaine heard, snapping his head to see Sugar standing in front of him.

"Oh, hey Sugar. I was just thinking I thought that you were the one that decorated my locker for my birthday. I know you're into that kind of stuff..."

"Oh – uh - yeah! It was Brittany and I. I hope that was okay…"

Blaine clasped her shoulder. "It's more than okay. Thanks Sugar. I'll have to thank Brittany later, too."

Sugar beamed. "Of course! We're so excited about… uh, your party tomorrow."

"Yeah, it's nothing special though. Don't expect it to be a blow-out or anything."

She giggled. "Oh Blaine, it will be so much fun, I'm sure of it. Well, I'll see you at glee, right?"

"Obviously," he scoffed.

"It's going to be awesome," Sugar added with a wink before skipping away, causing Blaine to roll his eyes.

_Girls are so weird_, he thought to himself as he jogged to his Spanish class.

* * *

"Blaine, do you realize that you're one of the only people at this school who brings actual silverware with their lunch?" Tina asked as she took a bite of her mystery meat concoction on her tray.

He shrugged. "My mom packs my lunch. I wouldn't care if I used real silverware or not."

"I think it's weird your mom still packs your lunch. I mean you're about to turn 18. Doesn't it seem a little elementary school?"

"I'm not complaining. It beats whatever – that – is," Blaine said as he gestured to the dish on Tina's tray.

She pushed her tray away. "Good point," Tina said as she pushed her tray away. "Speaking of food, are you excited for your birthday dinner tomorrow?"

He shrugged, "I mean, I guess. It just feels sort of anti-climactic. Turning 18 is supposed to open up a ton of doors or something. It really just feels the same to me. I guess I'm just not in the celebrating mood or something. I know I should be more excited, but I'm just… not." He took a pause and looked at Tina, who looked at him expectantly. "But I'm really glad you and the rest of glee club is going to be able to make it to dinner. Between that and seeing some of the Warblers, it'll be good."

"But you wish Kurt would be there too, don't you?" Tina asked.

"Of course. But he'll be here for Thanksgiving, which is right around the corner, so it's not like I won't see him soon."

She smiled. "Well, I know the minute you see him, you'll be blown away."

He laughed. "I usually am anyways."

She laughed before turning back to her food, leaving Blaine to think of what exactly he wanted to do when he'd finally see Kurt again.


	37. All For You

The rest of the day seemed to drag on. He was taking AP classes in order to get a head start and cut out some of the basic college classes his freshman year, but those classes were always so boring. Teachers seemed to talk at them rather than encourage any kind of dialogue and reading a practically ancient textbook could only make learning so interesting.

Blaine doodled in the corner of his European History notebook between his frequent peeks at the clock. Today's masterpieces involved lots of hearts and K+B. His doodles tended to match his emotions and today it was clear that his main emotion was that he missed Kurt.

"Mr. Anderson, can you please elaborate on the importance of the Magna Carta and its impact on the current monarchy process?"

Blaine was jolted from his doodles and thoughts of his boyfriend as he quickly rambled off facts about the document's significance. Thankfully with a lot of free time on his hands since Kurt was so busy, he actually managed to fully complete his readings for class along with applying for colleges and extra practices for Glee and the musical.

Part of what contributed to his lack of excitement was that he was still feeling lonely. The one thing that had caused him and Kurt to suffer a temporary break-up was coming back with a vengeance and he was afraid they'd go down that path again next week. He didn't want to force it out of Kurt to spend time with him or talk to him, but that sense of loneliness just hadn't gone away and he could only push it out for so long.

He hoped that Kurt's return next week wouldn't bring the same disaster as his trip to New York, but he knew that he and Kurt would have to discuss it at some point. Again.

Thankfully the bell rang and Blaine was saved from his thoughts of the heart-to-heart he'd have to have with Kurt when he was there next week. He didn't want to think about anything while he was in glee club. He wanted to focus on this week's assignment – love songs – and pour his energy into his singing.

He walked into the choir room and was the last to arrive. All of the extra chairs had been cleared out except for the 12 that the glee club would have to sit in, and the only available one was in the center of the front row between Sam and Tina. After taking his seat, Mr. Schue walked in and took his place on the stool next to the piano.

"Alright guys, it's Friday! We'll try to keep today's meeting short since I know we all have better things to do on a Friday afternoon and I know it's _someone's_ birthday tomorrow…"

Sam nudged Blaine as he blushed profusely at the attention being given.

"…So in honor of Blaine's special day, a few of New Directions wanted to give you their gift now while still adhering to this week's assignment of love songs," Mr Schue said as he fidgeted with his phone for a moment before placing it on the piano.

"Guys, you really didn't have to..." Blaine said as he watched Sam and Brittany move to the front of the room.

"Trust us, Blaine. We had to," Brittany said with a smile.

_We had to?_

He watched as Sam and Brittany stood on opposite sides of the choir room with a large distance between them. The two friends grinned at each other, seemingly sharing a secret between them as the piano started behind them.

They slowly started do-wopping, swaying back and forth as the piano tinkled out a familiar melody, though Blaine wasn't familiar with a version involving two singers. As the music hit the part where the main character chimed in, he heard a voice pick up the melody, but was surprised when it wasn't coming from Sam or Brittany.

Some enchanted evening  
You may see a stranger,  
you may see a stranger  
Across a crowded room  
And somehow you know,  
You know even then  
That somewhere you'll see him  
Again and again.

_Oh my god. That voice_. Blaine looked around, Brittany and Sam grinning and still swaying along with the music. _What is going on?_ He knew Kurt's voice was the one who was perfectly mastering the classic from South Pacific, but his physical presence was no where to be seen. Then he saw the speakers in front of him and realized he was right that Kurt wasn't there, he was somewhere else. _But where?_

Sam smiled at him knowingly, realizing that Blaine had finally figured out part of the plan. He nodded toward the door, trying to nudge Blaine in the right direction. Blaine rose skeptically, understanding the gesture from his friend but uncertain of where it would lead him. The only thing that kept him moving was that if it somehow ended with Kurt involved, he wouldn't regret it.

He walked further toward the door and he felt all the eyes from the choir room following him. As he neared the doorway, he turned around to see twelve pairs of eyes on him – looking at him expectantly, smiles crossing each of their faces. He grinned back, confused but happy, not fully understanding what was going on but Kurt being involved with whatever it was made him exceedingly happy.

Some enchanted evening  
Someone may be laughin',  
You may hear him laughin'  
Across a crowded room  
And night after night,  
As strange as it seems  
The sound of him laughter  
Will sing in your dreams.

He looked into the hall and saw a trail of flowers leading down the hallway with more speakers lining the hall. Now that he had left the choir room, the noise of the piano and Brittany and Sam's accompaniment had faded and all he could hear was Kurt.

_How did I not notice these speakers in the hallway before?_ He thought to himself as he picked up a white rose off the ground.

Who can explain it?  
Who can tell you why?  
Fools give you reasons,  
Wise men never try.

Blaine hurried to keep picking up flowers as he continued down the hallway. As he turned the corner, he saw his friends from New Directions slowly making their way out into the hallway to see what was going on, but their heads popped back into the choir room once Blaine looked in their direction.

At this point, Blaine was practically vibrating with anticipation. He had collected quite a few roses – too many to try to count during this time where he was in awe of whatever was going on. He grabbed another rose off the ground in front of one of the side hallways of the school. As he picked it up, he realized there weren't any more on the ground in front of him. He was confused, no more roses and the only thing in front of him was a side door leading to the outside of the school.

He wasn't confused for long. At that moment, as if on cue, the side door clicked open.

Some enchanted evening  
When you find your true love,  
When you feel him call you  
Across a crowded room,  
Then fly to his side,  
And make him your own  
Or all through your life you  
May dream all alone.

_Kurt. _

It was Kurt. Singing in front of him. The smile that had been on his face somehow managed to appear brighter as happy tears trickled from his eyes. Kurt was beaming back; seemingly glad to see that his plan had worked. He was walking through the door toward Blaine with a single red rose in his hand, extended out to him. Blaine took the flower and added it to the rest of his collection, eyes still turned to his boyfriend.

Once you have found him,  
Never let him go.  
Once you have found him,  
Never let him go!

Before Kurt could finish the final note, Blaine had lunged forward and hugged him with a fervor and strength he didn't realize he was capable of. He could feel Kurt grinning into his shoulder as Blaine pressed his chin into Kurt's neck.

"I can't believe you're here," Blaine breathed, placing a light kiss on Kurt's neck. He pulled away for a better kiss, straight on the lips, and the sparks that flew from that kiss were nearly as wonderful and mind numbing as their first. _God, this will never get old_, he thought to himself as he inhaled Kurt's scent as his lips pressed against his boyfriend's.

"Well, you serenaded me all those times, I figured it was about time I return the favor," Kurt said as he pulled away from Blaine. "And although I had to take some creative license with the song, I hope you'll think that I did a fair job at serenading you."

Now that his mind had settled on the fact that Kurt was standing in front of him, he could finally gaze and appreciate his boyfriend's presence – which meant seeing him in a white button up, black tuxedo vest, tight yellow jeans and black boots, capped off with a black peacoat and white scarf. He looked perfect, as usual. "I… I, wait, you aren't supposed to be in Lima until next week."

"As if I'd miss your birthday, Blaine."

"But you said that we'd just celebrate when you were here for Thanksgiving."

Kurt smiled, taking Blaine's hand into his own. "I know what I said, and that originally was the plan. But I wanted to be here just for you, not for the holiday." He took a moment as Blaine continued to smile, unable to take the grin off his face.

"So… does that mean you're staying with us?" Blaine asked, hoping the answer was yes so he could take his boyfriend back to his place and…

"Unfortunately not. I could only work so much magic for this week. Dad insisted I stay with him and Carole since they miss me or something," he said, chuckling.

Blaine's smile diminished slightly, hoping that he'd be able to spend the night with his boyfriend in bed next to him.

Kurt quickly interjected his thoughts, apparently able to read his mind. "Don't worry Blaine. We'll have plenty of time together. And who knows, maybe I'll get to spend at least one night with you while I'm here," he added with a wink.

He grinned. Oh, Kurt. The things you do to me. He reached out to try to grab Kurt's hand, but realized that his hands were full of flowers. He had been so overwhelmed; he didn't even realize he was still holding them (well, most of them, since he had dropped a few when he hugged Kurt).

"So, why the flowers?"

"Well, one, you know how I love flowers. And I figured you should get some from time to time too just so you can see how sweet it is when I get them from you. And please note, I got you 18 flowers. 18 white roses, to be specific, one for each year you've been alive."

"But this one is red," Blaine said as he pulled the red one from the bunch.

"You are quite the observer!" Kurt said in a slightly mocking tone. "Yes, this one flower is to represent the future – your 19th year and beyond. It's red because I wanted it to symbolize the love, dreams, and passion that are in your future. And how I want to be a part of that."

Blaine sighed. "How do you always know what to say to make me feel so amazingly happy?"

He shrugged. "It's a gift."

"Well, thank you for your gift. But I have one last question. Why did you choose this spot to sing to me from? It's kind of a weird choice."

Kurt looked at him, a little perplexed. "Don't you recognize where we are?"

Blaine looked around. A trophy case, nearby stairwell… it didn't seem like anything special. "Uh, no?"

Kurt's gaze shifted toward the ground and a slight blush rose to his cheeks. "It – uh – is where you gave me that promise ring last Christmas."

Blaine's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Of course Kurt, being so incredibly sweet with an amazing memory had remembered and tried to incorporate it into this moment. "Oh god, I can't believe I didn't realize… I was just so nervous when I gave it to you; I didn't even think about where we ended up. Please don't think I had forgotten that I gave you that ring and that the promises I said..."

Kurt shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. "It's totally fine. It was just the best place I could think of. Especially since I have some promises for you, too."

He arched his eyebrow. "Oh yeah? And what would those be?"

He grabbed the roses from Blaine's hand and set them on the ground before taking both of Blaine's hands into his own. He looked into Blaine's eyes and sighed slightly, as if he had been preparing this for a while.

"I promise, Blaine Anderson, to never make you feel lonely. I promise to talk to you every day and tell you how much I care. I promise to bake you a cake on your birthday every year. And I promise to love you more each day than I loved you the day before," he said, voice filled with emotion.

Blaine dropped the rest of the flowers on the ground and took both arms and hugged Kurt tightly. Kurt met his embrace with a tight squeeze. "I-I just love you so much, Blaine."

Blaine grinned into his boyfriend's shoulder as a tear grazed his cheek. "I know. I love you too. More than you know."

* * *

_The version of this song "Some Enchanted Evening" is here via YouTube: watch?v=Jk496TgE80k_


	38. Winning Big

As Blaine and Kurt pulled into the Thai restaurant, he still couldn't believe his boyfriend had trekked in early from New York just to spend time with him for his birthday. He had the rest of the night to ingest the sweet gesture from his boyfriend but he still couldn't believe it.

He'd spent Birthday Eve at the movies with Kurt – after Kurt officially thanked New Directions for their help and said his hellos to everyone – and it felt great to share in a normal, coupley activity with his boyfriend at his side. They held hands the entire movie while the armrest was pushed back so they could enjoy each other's closeness, sneaking in a few kisses between scenes every now and then.

Though they spent the night apart, the fact that they were in the same area code was reassuring to both of them. He slept more soundly that night than he had in weeks.

The next morning Blaine awoke to Kurt bringing him pancake batter pancakes in bed, courtesy of his mom, and a kiss from his boyfriend. He definitely could get used to Kurt waking him up for every birthday if it was anything like this one was shaping up to be.

Kurt sat on the edge of the bed as Blaine dove into his breakfast. When Blaine took a break to breathe from inhaling his food, he glanced up and saw Kurt looking at him with glazed over eyes and a smile on his face.

"Wha?" Blaine asked as he swallowed his food. He cleared his throat, not wanting to appear as if he had no manners, and started again. "What is it?"

Kurt sighed and his smile grew broader. "Nothing really. I just love you."

Blaine beamed and his eyes conveyed the goo that his heart had turned into with the sweet words coming from his boyfriend. "I love you too," he said as he cut into his pancakes. "So, after I finish eating and getting ready, I don't think we have plans for the day until my party starts at 5:30. What do you want to do?"

Kurt laughed. "Didn't you have plans for what you wanted to do for your 18th birthday?"

"I didn't think it was that big of a deal," he said with a shrug. "I was happy with just dinner tonight. I probably would have ended up playing a little piano, maybe watching a movie… I probably would have spent a good amount of time on the phone with you, if I'm being honest."

"Well, I hope it's okay that I ruined your 'big plans' for your birthday," Kurt said with a giggle. "But I have an idea for what we can do today."

"What's that?" he asked as he shoveled the last bit of pancakes into his mouth.

"Well," Kurt said, "Why don't we do all of the things that you can as a right of passage when you turn 18? You're technically an adult for the first time and that comes with a lot of benefits."

"…and responsibilities," Blaine added as he dreaded the thought of becoming a full-fledged adult with – gasp – bills. Those are the things that high school doesn't prepare you for.

Kurt giggled. "Yes, that too. But think about it. You can vote – although it's a bit late for that now – and you can get into some clubs, and you can buy cigarettes…"

Blaine dropped his fork and looked at Kurt, shocked. "Kurt, you hate smoking. You think it's disgusting. Why would you suggest me buying cigarettes?"

He shrugged. "I know you wouldn't smoke them. You can just buy them because you can."

Blaine shook his head. "Nuh-uh, I'm not buying those things. I'll just get something else instead. Like maybe one of those magazines," Blaine added as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at his boyfriend, who turned beet red at the thought.

"Uh, sure. But you know your mom and dad would find it and do you really want that?" Kurt asked as his blush crept down his neck. Blaine knew Kurt would be embarrassed – even though they had sex, Kurt still wasn't fully comfortable with them talking about it out in the open. What they did behind closed doors stayed that way as far as he was concerned.

Blaine took Kurt's hand into his own and looked at him. "You know I'm kidding. I just wanted to get a rise out of you."

Kurt sighed. "I know. I feel like I shouldn't still be embarrassed about that kind of stuff since I'm older than you and the fact that we actually… you know… but it still feels weird to be so open about it."

"I don't think that's weird. It's just not something you want or need to talk about. I know what you think about sex and that's enough for me. The fact that you're not talking about this kind of stuff with other people – let alone other guys – just makes it easier on my jealous brain," Blaine said, adding a wink at the end.

Kurt rolled his eyes at his boyfriend and nudged his shoulder lightly. "Well thanks, Blaine." He paused before his eyes shot open as if a light bulb had gone off in his head. "I have the perfect idea! Why don't we buy lotto tickets? I actually haven't bought any before and it'd be a fun, potentially lucrative first for the both of us."

Blaine chuckled. "Sounds good to me. Why don't I finish getting ready and we'll go to the gas station and try to win millions?"

Kurt gave Blaine a light kiss on the lips before picking up Blaine's empty plate and heading toward the door. "Sounds perfect."

Blaine showered, dressed and was out the door within 20 minutes and was hand in hand with his boyfriend in line at the gas station 10 minutes after that. They approached the counter and looked at all of the options for lottery tickets.

"There are so many," Blaine said as he fingered through the different tickets, each one more colorful – with the potential to win more – than the last.

"Well, my dad gave me money to buy you a birthday present, so we'll just use what he gave me to buy however many you want," Kurt said as he pulled out the cash from his pocket.

Blaine looked at him surprised. "Why did your dad want to buy me a present? He didn't have to…"

"Blaine, you're my boyfriend and he really likes you. He wanted to get you something but knew that if he tried to buy you something himself, he'd end up buying you motor oil or something." Blaine snorted as Kurt continued. "So this can be his present to you. He also said that he could contribute to what I was getting you, but I had already bought it by that point."

Blaine's eyes shot open. "Kurt! You definitely didn't have to get me anything. You spent so much money to fly here, you certainly did not need to spend more on some gift."

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand and looked him in the eyes. "Blaine, I want to buy you things. I want to show you that I love you in as many ways as possible. And besides, you know I buy lovely gifts."

Blaine sighed with a nod, acknowledging that Kurt was right. "You don't have to," he added silently as he looked back at the tickets.

Kurt's hand found Blaine's cheek and he forced Blaine's eyes into his again. "Why do you think that way, Blaine? I want to do these things for you."

Blaine tried to shift his gaze elsewhere but Kurt's hands kept his face in place, forcing his honey eyes onto Kurt's blues. "I just… sometimes I feel like I don't deserve these things; like I don't deserve you. You make me so incredibly happy and when we broke up and I broke your heart…. I was sure that you would never forgive me or want to see me again. I just feel like you could do better than me. I'm in high school, I'm a mess, I worry too much, I…"

"Blaine, listen to me." Kurt's tone was still caring, but had the slightest forceful edge as if to ensure that his words would seep into Blaine's mind and heart. "What happened when we were in New York and the… events… leading up to it are in the past now. We are so much closer now than we ever were before." Kurt stopped and rubbed his thumb lightly on Blaine's cheek. "You are more than worthy, Blaine. Some nights I lay in bed just wondering what I did to have someone so wonderful in my life. How I ended up being lucky enough to fall for my best friend and for him to love me in return. You are so amazing and I love you so much, Blaine. No matter what, I will always love you."

Blaine couldn't help but beam. "You're the best," Blaine whispered as he squeezed Kurt's hand.

He rolled his eyes, "No, you are."

They settled into a comfortable silence as they looked again at the lottery tickets in front of them. "Okay, I think I want to try these. They're $5 a piece and I could win up to $10,000 dollars. That sounds good, right?" Blaine asked Kurt.

Kurt shrugged his shoulders. "Works for me. Grab ten and we'll check out."

Blaine picked ten from the roll and walked to the counter. The store clerk looked at the two boys as she popped her gum and rung up the tickets.

"Ahem," Kurt said, clearing his throat. "Aren't you going to check his ID?"

She rolled her eyes uninterested and gestured for Blaine to hand over the ID. He laughed a little as he handed it over and her eyes scanned over the date. "Happy birthday," she said monotonously as she handed him back the card and read the total off to Kurt. Kurt handed the money over before winking at Blaine, who blushed at Kurt's gesture. Leave it to Kurt's simple wink to make him feel like a schoolboy who has a crush… on the hottest guy on the planet, obviously.

Kurt handed the tickets over to Blaine and pulled a coin from his pocket. "Here you go, birthday boy. Let's see what you won."

Blaine scratched off the first ticket and won $1. "Big winner," he said with a laugh as he continued to scratch onto the next card.

After six tickets, Blaine handed two for Kurt to scratch off. "Remember, this is a first for both of us. Let's see what you've won," Blaine said as he extended Kurt's penny to him.

Kurt smiled and scratched the card, revealing that he had won $5. "Wow! I won!" he exclaimed.

Blaine pretended to be irritated. "Man, it's not even your birthday and you already won more money than me."

Kurt gave him a light kiss on the cheek before handing the penny back to Blaine. "Well, you still have two more left. Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky."

He rolled his eyes and smiled as he scratched out the last two cards. When he scratched over the last card, his eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and his mouth flopped open.

"Blaine… what is it?" Kurt asked, confused at Blaine's reaction.

"I won," he replied quietly.

Kurt still looked puzzled. "What you win?"

Blaine beamed at him and held the ticket in front of his face. "I won $5,000 dollars."


End file.
